The €37 Mln Mastermind: Adrian Newey Tops F1 Earner List as 2026 Salaries Revealed
Adrian Newey tops the off-track earnings chart among Formula 1 team principals with a distinctive gap between him and Zak Brown in the second place, according to BusinessBookGP experts, whose research was shared by Infobae.
The financial landscape of Formula 1 has always been a topic of intense fascination. As the 2026 season unfolds, the spotlight is not just on the race track but also on the staggering pay packets of the sport’s most pivotal figures.
The Aston Martin mastermind commands top dollar
Adrian Newey has emerged as the highest-paid team principal figure in 2026. Despite ongoing questions surrounding his exact official title at Aston Martin, the legendary designer is reportedly taking home an eye-watering €37 mln.
This figure completely shatters the existing pay scale for team leadership. To put Newey’s compensation into perspective, he earns roughly three times more than McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
Household leadership names like Toto Wolff, Fred Vasseur and Mattia Binotto all hover around the €8 mln mark.
2026 Estimated Team Principal and Key Figure Salaries
| Name | Role / Team | Estimated Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Adrian Newey | Aston Martin | €37 mln |
| Zak Brown | McLaren | €12 mln |
| Toto Wolff | Mercedes | €8 mln |
| Fred Vasseur | Ferrari | €8 mln |
| Mattia Binotto | Audi | €8 mln |
| James Vowles | Williams | €7.5 mln |
| Laurent Mekies | Red Bull Racing | €7 mln |
| Andrea Stella | McLaren | €6 mln |
| Alan Permane | Racing Bulls | €5 mln |
| Flavio Briatore | Alpine | €2.5 mln |
| Ayao Komatsu | Haas | €2 mln |
| Graham Lowdon | Cadillac | €2 mln |
| Steve Nielsen | Consultant | €800,000 |
Verstappen and Hamilton dominate driver earnings
Kursiv earlier reported that the current estimates for the 2026 driver market reveal that Max Verstappen continues to lead the grid. The Red Bull superstar commands a staggering $70 mln base salary.
Hot on his heels is Lewis Hamilton, whose blockbuster move to Ferrari secures him an estimated $60 mln per year before performance bonuses and personal sponsorships are even calculated.
Further down the grid, there is a clear financial tier system. Established front-runners like Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Lando Norris are all firmly entrenched in the $30 mln-plus bracket. Meanwhile, rookies such as Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto occupy the entry-level tier of the driver pay scale.
(Note: Driver salaries are primarily reported in U.S. dollars across industry sources and represent base pay only, excluding performance bonuses or personal endorsements.)
