Although Max Verstappen and Red Bull have already clinched both Formula 1 world championships for 2023 with the team winning 20 of 21 races, much is still up for grabs in the Abu Dhabi GP season finale.
Eight of the remaining nine positions are still to be decided in the constructors’ standings, where a team could lose millions if they finish one place lower than hoped. Their finishing position could therefore have a big impact for 2024 and beyond.
Mercedes and Ferrari are tight in battle for second, Aston Martin is trying to regain fourth from McLaren, while Williams, AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo and Haas are all squabbling over the bottom four positions. Alpine is the only other constructor that has secured their finishing position for 2023, with the sixth-placed team 153 points behind Aston Martin in fifth but 92 ahead of seventh-placed Williams.
Even though F1’s exact prize money split is secret, it is possible to gain a good estimate of how much each position is worth using information in the public domain. As per the Concorde Agreement, the contract which governs the series, the team prize pot makes up 50% of F1’s commercial rights profit.
But teams do not always get 50% as after a certain point of revenue, it is understood Formula One Management’s percentage share increases. So in 2022, for example, the prize pot was $1.157 billion after F1 generated revenues of $2.57 billion, which equates to roughly 45%.
Those payments are also not shared equally. Ferrari receive an extra payment, believed to be 5% of the prize pot, for its historical significance as the Italian outfit has competed in every F1 season since 1950.
Other teams receive more money for past successes like winning the championship. So, it is estimated that bonus payments account for around 25% leaving the rest for 10 teams to split.
F1’s predicted earnings are expected to rise by up to 10% which means team payments will total around $1.25-1.3 billion, so the following numbers are estimated based on a $1 billion prize pot.
1st place in F1 Constructors’ Championship - $140 million estimate
Red Bull is understood to earn around $140 million - 14% of the pot and just $5 million more than the 2023 cost cap budget - for winning the 2023 constructors’ championship. It was quite clear from the opening race, where Red Bull scored a 1-2, that the team would be winning this year’s title.
But it's the domination that has surprised people, as Red Bull clinched their second consecutive constructors’ championship with six grands prix left in the season. But, how much longer this dominance can go on for is up in the air after Red Bull breached the 2021 cost cap rules.
As a result the team was given a 10% reduction on wind tunnel testing for 2023, plus a $7 million fine, the full extent of which Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes is yet to be seen.
2nd place in F1 Constructors’ Championship - $131 million estimate
Mercedes is currently favourites for an estimated $131 million of the prize pot, as they hold second place going into this weekend’s season finale. They are just four points ahead of Ferrari, however, so it is something to watch out for in Abu Dhabi.
PLUS: The remaining scores to be settled in Abu Dhabi's F1 finale
Although both teams do not want to be fighting over runner-up in the long term, clinching the position for the 2023 championship could prove crucial for their future title-winning ambitions given the money at stake.
3rd place in F1 Constructors’ Championship - $122 million estimate
Ferrari is the only team other than Red Bull to have won a grand prix in 2023 - Carlos Sainz took victory in Singapore - yet Mercedes might pip them for second. Poor luck has been a problem for the Scuderia as Charles Leclerc could not start the Brazilian GP due to a hydraulics fault, while Sainz was also unable to start the Qatar GP because of a fuel leak.
Had those problems - plus more - not struck, then the championship picture could look a lot different. Nevertheless, it should be very tight between Ferrari and Mercedes in Abu Dhabi with the Scuderia looking to secure back-to-back runner-up finishes while pocketing an estimated $9 million extra.
4th place in F1 Constructors’ Championship - $113 million estimate
It has been a remarkable turnaround for McLaren, who look set to receive $113 million in prize money for finishing fourth. This comes despite starting 2023 as a backmarker as the British outfit scored zero points in the opening two grands prix.
Mid-season upgrades then drastically changed the course of their campaign as McLaren has since scored nine podiums, including a sprint race victory for Oscar Piastri in Qatar. After getting just two points in Las Vegas though, fourth is not secured just yet with McLaren only 11 points ahead of Aston Martin.
5th place in F1 Constructors’ Championship - $104 million estimate
Whether Aston Martin overtake McLaren or not, the team is set for its biggest haul of prize money yet. Since its rebranding from Racing Point in 2021, Aston Martin has failed to finish above seventh in the standings, making 2023 their most successful season yet.
They began the year with six podiums in eight grands prix which had Aston Martin third in the championship. Other teams then caught up after upgrades though and just two podiums in the past 13 grands prix for Aston Martin has seen Ferrari and McLaren move above them in the standings, but there is slight hope of regaining fourth for the Silverstone-based team.
6th place in F1 Constructors’ Championship - $95 million estimate
Alpine is the only constructor other than Red Bull to have already secured its position in the standings. The French outfit will receive an estimated $95 million for coming sixth which is their lowest finishing position since rebranding from Renault for 2021.
However, this season both drivers have stood on the podium which is something the team failed to do in 2022 so there has still been some positive moments.
7th place in F1 Constructors’ Championship - $87 million estimate
Williams has finished last in four of the previous five championships, but that looks set to change after a much improved 2023 where the team has scored 28 points. Their reward will be an estimated $87 million, which is perhaps more important to Williams than other teams.
They do not have a big name manufacturer behind its operation, so budgets are more restricted for independent teams like Williams. Finishing seventh will make their finances more secure, but the position is not finalised just yet with AlphaTauri seven points behind while Alfa Romeo and Haas remain in the fight as well.
8th place in F1 Constructors’ Championship - $78 million estimate
It has been a turbulent year for AlphaTauri with four different drivers competing for them at various points in the season. A strong second half has lifted the team up to eighth in the standings, which will be enough for an estimated $78 million in prize money.
In Abu Dhabi the team will target an extra $9 million but AlphaTauri must bridge a seven point gap to Williams which could be tricky, as the most they’ve scored in one race this season is six points. The bigger threat is from behind as Alfa Romeo trail by just five points, but neither of their drivers have finished inside the top 10 in the past four races.
9th place in F1 Constructors’ Championship - $69 million estimate
Alfa Romeo look set to receive around $69 million in prize money for coming ninth, which is their lowest finishing position since 2021. The money will go towards Sauber-run team, as the squad will return to its old name for 2024 because the Alfa Romeo title sponsorship is coming to an end.
Although the team could still mathematically finish seventh, it is quite unlikely given they trail Williams by 12 points. While Alfa Romeo could gain an extra $18 million in prize money, it is also possible for them to lose $9 million because the team may still finish last. Haas trail by four points, but the American team has scored just one point in the last 16 grands prix.
10th place in F1 Constructors’ Championship - $60 million estimate
It has not been the season Haas hoped for with the American outfit currently last having scored 25 points less than 2022 at the time of writing. The team has scored points in just four grands prix, plus a sprint race, with Nico Hulkenberg’s seventh in Australia contributing to over half of their tally.
As a result, Haas is in for an estimated $60 million of prize money, which is 6% of the pot, unless they can overturn its four-point deficit to Alfa Romeo. Given how restricted Haas is financially, it is the last thing it needs with the team operating on a much lesser budget than competitors.
