Type ‘Max Verstappen’ into Google and one of the first terms its autocomplete function suggests is ‘net worth’ – which will direct you to many websites taking a wild punt at that figure. But it’s not the contract numbers which create a star driver’s true value. And while Max’s personal backers are largely Dutch, that is set to change as he becomes a global megastar…
WORDS MARK GALLAGHER PICTURES EA SPORTS, RED BULL, HEINEKEN
AS Max Verstappen lines up to join Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet, Niki Lauda, Jackie Stewart and Jack Brabham as a triple world champion, the 25-year-old Dutchman is already one of the biggest and most marketable stars in Formula 1 history. The fact that he is joining the ranks of the sport’s top 10 championship winners while only mid-career leaves plenty of room for more sporting records to be broken.
Now tied to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, by which time he will have turned 31, Verstappen has a base contract and bonuses which will ensure a financially sound future for him and future family generations. Talks of driver salary caps are, for the moment, off the table.
While the usual clickbait speculation on the internet places his salary at over £40m per season, in reality the only people who know what the contract contains are the principal negotiators, Christian Horner, Verstappen himself and manager Raymond Vermeulen. Given that he came into F1 as a fresh-faced 17-year old, the cumulative gains from the nine seasons to date and five years ahead means substantial career income for Red Bull’s superstar.
Michael Schumacher was estimated to have earned in excess of £450m during 19 seasons, a career span Verstappen will reach at the still-young age of 36. If he emulates Fernando Alonso and races into his 40s, it wouldn’t take much for him to become F1’s first billion-dollar driver based on cumulative career income.
“Max has a very bright future whatever he chooses to do,” says David Coulthard, a fellow Red Bull ambassador who knows a lot about building a career inside and outside the cockpit.
“Considering that I’m still associated with Red Bull 15 years after I finished racing in F1, Max can look forward to similarly long-term relationships. It’s the model Jackie Stewart first introduced, and Max is perfectly placed to build on everything he’s achieving. He’s very dedicated to his racing, does precisely what’s required to get the job done and is authentic in what he delivers. What you see is what
