Chasing The Bag: Breaking Down F1 Constructors Payout

There are currently ten F1 Constructors for the 2023 season. Each constructor has their engine designed by a corporate entity that fund the team. The current manufacturers for the F1 constructors in 2023 are Ferrari, Red Bull, Renault, and Mercedes. Certain engine manufactures like Ferrari and Mercedes stake claim with several constructors.

Here are all the constructors for the 2023 F1 season.

• Drivers: Max Verstappen - #1, Sergio Perez - #11
• Base: Milton Keynes, England

There is no team in F1 with as much expectation as Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT. That's due to their premier driver Max Verstappen–the two-time defending F1 champion–who's looking to three-peat this season.

• Drivers: Charles Leclerc - #16, Carlos Sainz - #55
• Base: Maranello, Province of Modena, Italy

Ferrari has chosen to run it back and for the third straight season have entrusted Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz as their drivers. They made a modest run at the constructor title at the beginning of last year before falling off, proving they have the potential. It should be a big year for Charles Leclerc as he attempts to take the drivers title throne from Max Verstappen.

• Drivers: Lewis Hamilton - #44, George Russell - #63
• Base: Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

There is no question that the current GOAT of Formula 1 is Lewis Hamilton. He has won a record seven World Drivers Championships, and holds records for most wins, pole positions, podium finishes, and a litany of other accomplishments. It looks as though his days of dominating F1 may be coming to a close soon, as younger racers begin to assert their dominance.

• Drivers: Pierre Gasly - #10, Esteban Ocon - #31
• Base: Enstone, England

Alpine will be putting out an all-French lineup for their 2023 F1 season behind drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. Gasly has big shoes to fill, stepping in for Fernando Alonso, who left Alpine for Aston Martin. Alpine finished above a majority of other constructors last year and will look to do the same this year.

• Drivers: Lando Norris - #4, Oscar Piastri - #81
• Base: Woking, Surrey, England

Outside of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris may rank as the best driver with the best odds to claim the Driver's Championship. This will be Oscar Piastris first time racing in F1, and there is a lot of hype around the racer. He won the 2021 F2 championship and is looking to truly make his mark on the sport this season.

• Drivers: Zhou Guanyu - #24, Valtteri Bottas - #77
• Base: Hinwil, Zürich, Switzerland

Last season Alfa Romeo put out their new driver duo of Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, and they did not disappoint. They finished sixth overall in the championship and are looking to repeat that success. With a full season of racing under his belt, it should be exciting to see what Guanyu can accomplish this year.

• Drivers: Fernando Alonso - #14, Lance Stroll - #18
• Base: Silverstone, England

Aston Martin is running it back with Lance Stroll, but he finds a new teammate in Fernando Alonso, one of the most decorated active F1 racers, with two world championships under his belt. It should be an exciting year for Aston Martin with this lethal duo of drivers.

• Drivers: Kevin Magnussen - #20, Nico Hulkenberg - #27
• Base: Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States

Haas had a disappointing season last year, finishing eighth amongst all teams. Nico Hulkenberg will make his return as a full-time driver after serving as a replacement the last three seasons. Haas has plenty of experience on their side, but will it help improve their standings from last season?

• Drivers: Yuki Tsunoda -#22, Nyck De Vries #21
• Base: Faenza, Italy

AlphaTauri has enlisted the help of rookie driver Nyck De Vries to try and move up the standings after a disappointing ninth place finish last season. De Vries comes highly touted and has been making a name for himself in the F2 racing league. Yuki Tsunoda takes on his third year as a main racer for AlphaTauri and it should be interesting to see how him and De Vries gel throughout the season.

• Drivers: Logan Sargeant - #2, Alex Albon - #23
• Base: Grove, Oxfordshire, England

Williams has big expectations for rookie driver and American Logan Sargeant, who's been making a name for himself and had an incredible rookie performance last year in the F2 championship. It should be interesting to see how he transitions to the bright lights of Formula 1.

The F1 constructors payout varies drastically depending on a myriad of factors. Things such as where you finish in the overall rankings, points classification, and overall revenue share from F1. After winning the Constructors Championship in 2021, Mercedes was awarded prize money worth upwards of $60 million. Ferrari on the other hand, was giving a $68 million bonus just for agreeing to stay in the racing league. Due to their high-profile status and history in the league, securing Ferrari staying in F1 is a high priority for the FIA. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton currently has the highest salary for an F1 driver, coming in at an estimated $30 million -$40 million. Other driver salaries usually range around $20 million. 

• Ferrari: $205 million 
• Mercedes: $177 million 
• McLaren: $152 million
• Red Bull Racing: $100 million 
• Renault: $73 million 
• Haas: $70 million 
• Williams: $60 million 
• Racing Point: $59 million 
• Sauber: $56 million 
• Toro Rosso: $52 million 

One of the most important factors in the F1 constructors payout is the difference between column 1 and column 2 money. These two columns differ drastically in what percent each constructor will be paid out. There is also Column 3 payments, but only teams who fall out of the top ten qualify for this. 

The method that F1 uses to divy out their prizes can be split into two different streams. The total prize money of a given race comes down to what Formula One’s profit was that day. F1 will share a little over 45% of profits for means to be distributed as prizes. A team like Ferrari will earn an extra 2.5% of prize money simply because they one of the oldest teams in F1 and their presence in the sport is integral to F1’s success. 

In column 1 payments are made out equally between the top ten teams in F1 from the last three years. Team finishing in the top 10 all qualify for column 1 payments and will receive the same payment. This column accounts for a little over 23% of the payout. 

Column 2 money differs drastically from that of column 1. They are similar in the sense that they only include the top 10 constructors, but column 2 money is determined by how many points your team earned. Where teams finish in the current constructors championship will designate what their payout in column 2 is.

There are some bonuses that the F1 will give out, but the specifications for receiving those rewards are a little murky. A team like Ferrari has reached a special deal with F1 that secures them a 2.5% bonus of the prize money. There a no other known bonus’s that are given, especially because individual drivers do no receive compensation based on placement in races.