The conclusion of the 2023 season is marked by the Abu Dhabi GP, capping off yet another remarkable year filled with intense competition and Red Bull’s exceptional performance. Max Verstappen and the Red Bull team have secured both titles in a notably dominant fashion, positioning themselves to claim the highest earnings for the season.

The 2023 season stands out as one of the most dominant seasons in the history of the sport, with Red Bull sweeping all but one race. This level of dominance has been witnessed only once before, in 1988 when the McLaren team achieved a similar feat of winning all but one race.

Throughout the season, Red Bull and Verstappen showcased a record-breaking performance, poised to secure a historic prize money payout. Verstappen also crossed the 1000 laps led mark, which is more than Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna‘s joint record from 1988. Dive in to find out how much that is:

How much prize money did Red Bull win their 6th constructor title?

Formula 1 allocates its prize money to constructors rather than individual drivers, and for the 2023 season, the total prize pot distributed across the grid is estimated to be close to $2.2 billion, constituting a significant increase from the previous season’s $1.157 billion.

The Red Bull team celebrating their 6th world title (Credits: F1)

The distribution of prize money is influenced by various factors, including a team’s performance in the Constructors’ Championship, the points earned by its drivers, and achievements such as pole positions and fastest laps.

Although there is no official confirmation of the exact prize pot for the 2023 season, predictions suggest a substantial rise of up to 10% from the previous season, resulting in total team payments reaching approximately $1.25-1.3 billion. For the sake of analysis, let’s consider a prize pot of $1 billion, as per Autosport.com‘s estimate.

In this distribution model, the top-performing team in the Constructors’ Championship claims the largest share, earning 14% of the total prize pot. Conversely, the team finishing in 10th place receives the smallest share at 6%. Using this framework, the constructor champion, Red Bull is anticipated to receive a remarkable $140 million. This estimate could set a record for the highest prize money in F1 history, marking a significant milestone in earnings.

How much will each team earn as prize money?

The 2023 constructor’s trophy (Credits: Points Spread)

1. Red Bull: As mentioned above the most dominant team, the winningest team and the constructor champion, Red Bull will earn a whopping $140 Million.

2. Mercedes: Mercedes will accrue a total of $131 million for securing second place after a hard-fought battle with Ferrari. Notably, this is only the second time Mercedes has ended up in the runner-up spot after 2013.

3. Ferrari: Ferrari will earn a sum of $122 million by clinching third place in the Constructors’ Championship. They will also earn a 5% extra from the long-holding deal since 1950.

4. McLaren: McLaren is poised to receive $113 million for their commendable fourth-place finish, with mid-season upgrades playing a pivotal role in their success.

5. Aston Martin: Aston Martin will achieve their highest-ever prize money by finishing fifth in the championship standings. A whopping $104 million will be awarded to the Silverstone-based outfit.

6. Alpine: Alpine is set to receive $95 million for their sixth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship.

7. Williams: Williams secured a notable boost, amounting to $87 million, for their seventh-place finish in the championship.

8. AlphaTauri: AlphaTauri, navigating a rollercoaster year with four drivers driving for them have earned an impressive 4th place finish after late improvements in the season.

9. Alfa Romeo: Alfa Romeo claimed $69 million after impressive performances from both their drivers to drag the slowest car on the grid and secure the 9th spot in the standings.

10. Haas: Haas, finishing at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship, is entitled to approximately 6% of the prize money pot, totaling $60 million.

While it is acknowledged that Red Bull has enjoyed substantial gains from this remarkable season, certain drawbacks accompany such success. A notable instance is Verstappen poised to make history as the first driver to surpass a million dollars for the Super License fee. In 2023, the base fee amounted to 10,400 euros, with an added 2,100 euros per championship point.

Verstappen, concluding with an impressive 575 points after the Abu Dhabi GP, is anticipated to pay a substantial 1,217,900 euros or $13,336,606. Other drawbacks include the reduced wind tunnel time for the championship-winning team. Dive in to understand how much time is allocated for Red Bull in the wind tunnel.

How much wind tunnel time does Red Bull earn in 2024?

In Formula 1, teams’ wind tunnel time allocation hinges on Constructors’ Championship standings, assessed around June 30th. The FIA designates hours considering standings. Wind tunnel time is measured in eight-hour shifts, with 100% equaling around 80 hours of wind running and 400 hours of tunnel occupancy.

F1 cars at the wind tunnel testing (Credits: Racing News 365)

The allocation is determined by an inverse proportional handicap system, with values derived from the prior year’s standings and adjusted periodically during the season based on current championship positions. Thus, Red Bull will naturally have reduced wind tunnel run time compared to any other team. Here is how the wind tunnel time is catered for every team based on their finishing position:

Figures are subject to change based on the standings after the halfway break in 2024