Verstappen calls out FIA on 'absurd' F1 Super Licence fee

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Max Verstappen has hit out at the FIA, calling the Super Licence fee that F1 drivers must pay to the governing body "absurd".

F1's Super Licence is a mandatory permit for all drivers that is issued by the FIA, and with a hefty performance-linked price tag attached to it.

Specifically, each driver will pay a base fee in euros of €10,400, plus €2,100 per point scored during the 2022 season to race in F1 in 2023.

Three drivers - Nico Hulkenberg, Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant - were only required to pay the basic Super Licence fee, or $10,400, as they did were not part of the 2022 championship.

But reigning world champion Max Verstappen was sent a massive invoice by the FIA, thanks to his impressive points haul last season that included 15 wins. The pay-out for the Dutchman's 2023 Super Licence was €963,800, an all-time high!

"I think the sum is absurd," Verstappen told Austrian broadcaster Servus TV.

"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."

It's a very secondary concern for Max however, as the hefty sum won't come out of his wallet according to Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko.

"I’m afraid we have to pay that, if I have our contract right in my head," said the Austrian, a cringe on his face.

Read also: Domenicali expects 'a lot of attention' on F1 budget cap issues

But wait, there's more!

Ahead of the start of the season, the FIA has also collected its due from the sport's ten teams, all of which pay an entry fee to race in the 2023 F1 World Championship.

©FIA

According to the 2023 FIA Sporting Regulations, all teams are required to pay a flat rate of $617,687, plus a fee per point scored. The latter amounted to $7,411 for title winners Red Bull while all other teams were required to pay $6,174 per point.

The Milton Keynes squad was therefore invoiced the total sum of $6,242,636 by F1's governing body, an amount by the way that is exempt from F1's cost cap.

"I didn’t realise how much we had to pay the FIA for the points – I got the bill the other day and it was incredible!" joked Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, flanked by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem at the FIA Gala last December.

At the other end of the spectrum, because it only scored 8 points in 2022, Williams Racing will only need to disburse $667,079 to race in 2023.

But overall, putting together the teams' entry fees and the drivers' Super Licence expense, the FIA has banked a handsome $26.7 million ahead of the start of the F1 season.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.