McLaren faces €2 million bill for Norris and Piastri super licences

As Formula 1 teams finalize their preparations for the 2026 campaign, McLaren faces a substantial financial bill that reflects the success of its driver pairing. The Woking-based outfit will pay just over €2 million to the FIA for the super licence fees of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, underlining the direct correlation between championship performance and licensing costs.

How F1 Super Licence fees work

The FIA's super licence fee structure is designed to reward success, with costs escalating based on driver performance in the previous season. For 2026, the system operates on a straightforward formula: a base rate of €11,842, plus €2,392 for every point scored during the 2025 F1 season. This means the most competitive drivers and championship contenders inevitably face the highest licensing bills.

Norris and Verstappen lead the bill

Lando Norris will pay approximately €1,023,658 for his 2026 super licence, making him one of the most expensive drivers to license on the grid. Max Verstappen follows closely behind at nearly $1.2 million USD (approximately €1.12 million). These astronomical figures underscore the exceptional point-scoring achievements of both drivers during the 2025 season, as each championship point accrued adds €2,392 to the final fee.

McLaren's championship success reflected in costs

The €2 million combined bill for Norris and Piastri represents McLaren's dominant performance throughout 2025. While this figure may seem substantial, it pales in comparison to the financial rewards available to championship-winning teams. McLaren's constructor's title victory alone guarantees the team at least €130 million in prize money, making the super licence fees a negligible expense in the broader financial context.

Financial implications across the grid

The FIA's licensing fee system generated just over €6.5 million (approximately €7.7 million USD) across the entire 2026 grid. Although teams technically pay these fees on behalf of their drivers, the system effectively represents a revenue stream for motorsport's governing body while penalizing the sport's most successful competitors. For McLaren and other frontrunning teams, these payments are simply a cost of championship competitiveness.