(Motorsports news) Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominated the 2023 F1 season, as the Dutchman won a record-tying 19 of 22 grand prix to secure his third drivers’ world championship. Though many of the other positions were still up for grabs in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale, he and Red Bull emerged victorious in both championships, with six grands prix remaining. As a result, teams in Abu Dhabi were competing for millions of dollars, and their result might have a significant effect on 2024 and beyond.

Aston Martin was attempting to reclaim fourth from McLaren, while Williams, AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo, and Haas were arguing over the bottom four spots. Mercedes and Ferrari were fighting it out for second place. Alpine, the sixth-place team, was 92 points clear of Williams in seventh place but 153 points behind Aston Martin in fifth place going into the final weekend. Alpine was the only other constructor to guarantee their finishing position before Abu Dhabi.

Although the precise distribution of prize money in Formula One is not disclosed, it is feasible to obtain a reasonable approximation of the value of each place by utilizing publicly available data. F1’s commercial rights profit is split 50/50 between the team prize pot and the series’ governing contract, the Concorde Agreement. However, teams do not always receive 50% because Formula One Management’s percentage share is supposed to increase after a particular revenue threshold.

For instance, in 2022, the prize pool was $1.157 billion, following $2.57 billion in revenue—roughly 45%—from Formula One. Equal shares are not given to those payments either. Given Ferrari’s historical significance—the Italian team having participated in every Formula One season since 1950—they earn an additional payout, estimated to be 5% of the prize money. Some teams are compensated more financially for prior achievements, such as championship victories.

Bonus payments are thought to make up about 25% of the total, with the remaining money being divided among the 10 teams. Assuming a 10% increase in Formula One earnings, team payouts are forecast to reach between $1.25 and $1.93 billion. The figures below are approximations based on a $1 billion prize pool.

First in the F1 Constructors’ Championship with an estimated value of $140 million:

It is believed that Red Bull will receive about $140 million for winning the 2023 constructors’ championship, or 14% of the pot and only $5 million more than the 2023 cost cap budget. Red Bull’s 1-2 victory in the first race made it quite evident that they would win the championship this year. Red Bull won 21 of 22 grand prix, which is the greatest win % of any team in a season, but it was the dominance that took everyone by surprise.

The question remains, though, for how long this domination can last given Red Bull’s violation of the 2021 cost cap regulations. The team was subsequently fined $7 million, the entire amount of which Red Bull CEO Christian Horner believes remains unknown, and received a 10% decrease in wind tunnel testing for 2023.

$131 million is estimated for second place in the F1 Constructors’ Championship:

Mercedes took home an estimated $131 million in the constructors’ championship award for placing second. Three points separated the two teams in a very close race, but Mercedes’ higher level of dependability ended up being the deciding factor. Long-term, neither of them wants to be fighting over second place, but with so much money on the line, Mercedes’ chances of winning many titles may depend on finishing second.

Third position in the F1 Constructors’ Championship with an estimated $122 million:

Mercedes edged Ferrari into second place in the 2023 Formula One Championship, even though Carlos Sainz’s win in Singapore made Ferrari the only team other than Red Bull to win a grand prix. The Scuderia’s bad luck continued when Sainz’s fuel leak during the Qatar Grand Prix prevented him from starting the race, and Charles Leclerc’s hydraulics malfunction prevented him from starting the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Ferrari will get an estimated $122 million in prize money; nevertheless, the championship picture could have been quite different had those issues—and more—not arisen.

Fourth position in the Formula One Constructors’ Championship with an estimated $113 million:

McLaren will now get $113 million in prize money as a result of their incredible turnaround in 2023. Despite starting 2023 as a backmarker and scoring zero points in the first two grand prix after falling considerably behind the pace, the British team finished fourth. Following the introduction of the main improvements in Austria, McLaren’s campaign took a drastically different turn, with Oscar Piastri winning a sprint race in Qatar and the team scoring nine podiums.

Fifth position in the F1 Constructors’ Championship with an estimated $104 million:

Aston Martin’s largest prize money haul to date will be given to it for placing fifth in the championship. Aston Martin’s best season to date is 2023; prior to this one, they had never placed higher than seventh in the standings following their rebranding from Racing Point in 2021. With six podiums from eight grand prix at the start of the year, Aston Martin was third in the championship.

However, after upgrades, other teams caught up, and Aston Martin only managed two podiums in the last 14 grand prix, which allowed Ferrari and McLaren to pass them in the standings.

Placed sixth in the F1 Constructors’ Championship; estimated worth of $95 million:

In 2023, Alpine was a middle-of-the-road team, and their comfortable sixth-place performance will earn them an estimated $95 million. After changing their name from Renault for 2021, they finished fifth that year and fourth the following year, making this their lowest finish since then. Even said, there have been some encouraging moments this season as both drivers have finished on the podium, something the squad did not accomplish last year.

7th place in the Formula One Constructors’ Championship with an estimated $87 million:

Williams, who placed seventh in the championship and will collect $87 million of the prize money, is a significant improvement for the club. Prior to 2023, the British team had placed last in four of the previous five seasons. However, because to a more competitive car, Williams achieved its best point total (28) in a single season since 2017.

And maybe more crucial to Williams than other constructors is the money they will get for doing this. Because they don’t have a well-known manufacturer behind them, independent teams like Williams have additional budgetary constraints. As a result, placing seventh should strengthen their financial position.

Eighth place in the F1 Constructors’ Championship with an estimated cost of $78 million:

With four different drivers vying for them at different times in 2023, it was a difficult year for AlphaTauri. The squad moved up to seventh in the standings with a good second half, and as a result, they will get an estimated $78 million. In Abu Dhabi, there was a chance to pass Williams for an additional $9 million, but Yuki Tsunoda’s eighth-place result was insufficient to overcome AlphaTauri’s seven-point disadvantage.

Place 9 in the F1 Constructors’ Championship, estimated worth $69 million:

Alfa Romeo’s ninth-place finish—their lowest since 2021—will bring them prize money of about $69 million. The funds will benefit the Sauber-run team, which will revert to its previous moniker in 2024 due to the Alfa Romeo title sponsorship coming to an end.

$60 million is estimated for 10th position in the F1 Constructors’ Championship:

Haas had not anticipated such a season, as the American team finished 25 points short of 2022. Only four grand prix and a sprint race were used by the team to earn points, with Nico Hulkenberg’s seventh-place finish in Australia accounting for more than half of their total.

Haas will receive an estimated $60 million in prize money, or 6% of the total. It is the last thing Haas needs, considering how financially strapped the team is and how much less money it has than its rivals.

Also read: In 2024, Ferrari must take advantage of additional Formula One opportunities: Vasseur