Mercedes forks out $4.8m entry fee for 2022 F1 season

Reigning world champions Mercedes face a hefty price to pay for its success in Formula 1. And it's not just hard work, discipline or technical excellence - it's also cold, hard cash.

Since 2013, the total entry fee paid by teams for the privilege of racing in the F1 World Championship is based on their points tally from the year, a rule established at the time by the FIA as a way for the governing body to boost its income from the championship that it sanctions.

All ten F1 teams pay an identical basic fee – adjusted for inflation each year – that amounts this season to $577,278.

On top of that, teams then pay an additional contribution based on points, but with the previous year's champion – in this case – Mercedes disbursing more than its rivals.

The Brackley squad will therefore fork out $577,278 and $6,926 per championship point which, based on its tally of 613.5 points amounts to a grand total of $4,826,379.

That’s $343,481 more than in 2021, but the figure is also well below the record $5,490,812 it had to pay in 2020 as a result of its dominant 2019 season.

• Read also: Three Grands Prix topped 300,000 spectators in 2021

Behind Mercedes in the pecking order, all other teams will pay $5,770 for each scored point, which leavers runner-up Red Bull with a $3,955,613 entry fee, or $1,207,535 more than in 2021.

Ferrari also sees a significant increase of its entry fee invoice from the FIA thanks to its turnround last year that landed the Scuderia in third place in the Constructors' standings.

The Italian outfit will pay $2,443,873 to take part in this year's championship or $979,835 more than in 2021.

Here's a team-by-team run down of the entry costs for the 2022 F1 World Championship.