Charles Leclaire // foto: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images
This is reported by the Dutch publication RacingNews365.
According to the publication, the key factor was the extension of the contract with Monegasque Charles Leclair. Financial terms of the agreement are not officially disclosed, but the source claims that the salary of the racer will increase from 34 million euros to 50 million euros a year.
As a result, the combined payments to Leclair and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who, according to the publication, receives about 60 million euros per season, will exceed the mark of 100 million euros.
Thus, Ferrari became the first team in the championship to overcome this milestone in terms of expenditure on the pilot staff.
In second place in the unofficial ranking is Red Bull Racing. According to RacingNews365, the total amount of salaries of its pilots is about 75 million euros a year. The bulk of this amount falls on the reigning world champion Max Verstappen, whose income is estimated at 70 million euros per season.
Ferrari’s rising costs reflect the increasing competition for top drivers in Formula One, where teams continue to invest heavily in their driver line-ups despite current budget constraints in other areas of the championship.
Ferrari expects the combination of Leclair and Hamilton to help the team get back into title contention after several seasons without an individual championship.
