Antonelli is the cheapest championship leader Formula 1 has had in a generation. The 19-year-old Italian sits only 10th on the 2026 driver pay ladder, earning less than a sixth of what Verstappen collects at Red Bull and roughly a sixth of what Ferrari pays Lewis Hamilton.

He does not need to be paid like a champion to drive like one. After 11 rounds, Antonelli tops the standings on 219 points, 50 clear of Hamilton and a full 110 ahead of Verstappen, who is stranded in sixth on 109 points. Six wins, six poles and nine podiums have turned the second-year Mercedes driver into the most unlikely value contract in the sport’s history.

Asked after his podium at the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26 whether he could have pictured himself leading the title race into the summer break, Antonelli sounded almost surprised at his own answer.

“No, not really. Of course I’m very happy, it’s the best way to go into the summer break,” he told Formula 1’s official channels.

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Where the 2026 salaries land

The top of the pay ladder still looks like the old F1. Verstappen and Hamilton clear $70 million each, and the two Ferrari and McLaren lead drivers fill out the top five. The bottom is where the picture has changed: a wave of rookies and second-year drivers on entry-level deals is now doing much of the on-track work.

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): $76m

2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): $70.5m

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): $57.85m

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4. Lando Norris (McLaren): $57.5m

5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): $37.5m

6. Carlos Sainz (Williams): $30m

7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): $26.5m

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8. George Russell (Mercedes): $26m

9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): $13.5m

10. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): $12.5m

At the other end of the pit lane, Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad is on a rookie deal worth between $500,000 and $1 million. Oliver Bearman at Haas and Gabriel Bortoleto at Audi both take home about $2 million, roughly what Verstappen earns before he has finished the second race weekend of the season.

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Across all 22 seats, the combined 2026 payroll runs to about $324 million, with an average salary of $14.7 million and a median of $8 million.

Verstappen’s paycheck, without the podiums

The 2026 rule reset has hit Red Bull harder than any other team. Verstappen has been stuck on four podiums and zero wins, with his rotating rear wing failing during qualifying in Austria and again at Silverstone. Red Bull have slid to fourth in the constructors’ standings.

Mercedes, meanwhile, have used the reset to build the car of the year. The Silver Arrows lead the constructors’ championship by 72 points, have won eight of the 11 races so far and put Antonelli and Russell in the top three of the drivers’ table.

The contrast is what makes the salary sheet so awkward for Red Bull. Verstappen’s contract runs to 2028 at $76 million a year no matter where he finishes. Antonelli’s Mercedes deal expires at the end of 2027, and every point he adds between now and then makes his next contract more expensive.

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The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on August 23 restarts the season.