Max Verstappen shocked by extortionate FIA super license fee required to enter F1

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen believes that the FIA super licence fee he will have to pay to enter the 2023 F1 World Championship is "absurd".

Every driver must pay a fee to the governing body (FIA) to take part in the Formula One season, with the total fee consisting of a basic fee of €10,400, which is added to an amount calculated based on how many points the driver scored in the previous campaign.

Verstappen won his second world title last year. Image: Alamy

Verstappen accumulated a total of 454 points on his way to winning the 2022 title, and with €2,100 charged per point scored, this means that Verstappen's total comes in at €963,800.

This extortionate amount required is something that the two-time World Drivers' Champion is not pleased about.

"I think the sum is absurd," Verstappen said to German outlet Motorsport-Total.

"I don't think it's right that we have to pay so much. That's not the case in other sports either. And there are more and more races."

Luckily for Verstappen, it does look like the job of paying the large fee is down to his team at Red Bull Racing, and not himself individually.

Team advisor Helmut Marko commented: "I'm afraid we have to pay that, if I have our contract right in my head."

Other drivers have been handed big fees to pay as well, such as Charles LeClerc of Scuderia Ferrari, who has a fee of €657,200 to pay after accumulating a total of 308 points.

Another driver is Sergio Perez, Verstappen's teammate, who has to pay €650,900 for winning a total of 305 points.

Finally Lewis Hamilton, despite an underwhelming season, has a fee of €514,400 to pay to the FIA after earning 240 points, almost half of the points that Verstappen earned.