Top 5 F1 driver lineups (feat. Lewis Hamilton) with the highest pay disparity between teammates (for the 2025 grid)

The 2025 F1 season has featured Lewis Hamilton left, right, and center as the driver is beginning a new journey in his career. The 7x world champion has been a part of the sport since 2007 and has been one of the biggest superstars. It all began as soon as he first stepped foot in a McLaren with Fernando Alonso in the other car.

Since then, the driver has been blockbuster in every way. One of the ways an F1 driver's 'superstar' status gets ratified is by what the teams are willing to pay for their services. For a long time, it was Lewis Hamilton who was the benchmark when it came to what the drivers were paid in the sport.

In a recent report published by The Sun, Lewis Hamilton will be the driver with the second highest salary in F1 behind Max Verstappen as the Dutch driver pips him by just £4M. This does, however, raise an interesting question on the disparity of pay between teammates on the 2025 grid.

In this feature, we're looking at just that as we rank the top 5 F1 driver lineups with the highest pay disparity between teammates. Let's take a look.

#5 George Russell-Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

Pay Disparity: £10.5M

At no. 5 we have the Mercedes driver lineup of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, with the British driver having a salary of £12M while the Italian rookie takes £1.5M. Antonelli is more or less on an introductory pay package for the time being, and if the driver does end up living up to the hype he's had, then that number is certainly going to increase.

For now, though, the duo has the 5th highest pay disparity of £10.5M.

#4 Lando Norris-Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

Pay disparity: £11.3M

At no. 4 we have the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with the Brit being paid £16M compared to £4.7M for his teammate. To a few this might come as a surprise but we have to keep in mind that Lando has been a part of the squad since 2019 and has been a part of the journey.

To add to this, he is one of the more marketable drivers in the sport and hence ends up commanding more. Oscar, on his part, is still in his third season in F1, and in due time, what he gets paid will also increase.

#3 Fernando Alonso-Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

Pay disparity: £13.7M

At no. 3 we have the Aston Martin pairing of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The Spaniard is paid £16M while his teammate gets £2.3M. The disparity is also an indication of what Alonso means to the team and the kind of experience and performance he brings to the car every time he steps into the cockpit.

#2 Lewis Hamilton-Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

Pay disparity: £21M

At no. 2 we have the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The 7x F1 world champion is paid a whopping £48M, while his teammate is also paid a handsome fee of £27M.

One cannot question Ferrari for being committed to its driver lineup, as both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are the second and the third highest-paid drivers on the 2025 F1 grid, and the disparity is just a result of Hamilton being a 7x F1 world champion.

#1 Max Verstappen-Liam Lawson (Red Bull)

Pay disparity: £51.2M

At no. 1 we have the Red Bull driver lineup with an eye-watering gap of £51.2M. This is both a function of Max Verstappen being the hottest property in F1 at the moment (even ahead of Lewis Hamilton) and Liam Lawson being an unknown proposition for the team as well.

On one side, Verstappen takes home a whopping £52M; his teammate is currently reported to be paid only £800K for his first season.