Ferrari Could Bank Over $275m From Constructors’ Title While Hamilton Earns Nothing From Drivers’ Crown

Ferrari have not won both world championships since 2007, a drought that has now stretched to at least 18 years for the Italian outfit.
In that 2007 season, Ferrari had claimed both titles five times in the previous seven years, making the subsequent barren run almost unimaginable at the time.
Their last world championship of any kind came via Kimi Raikkonen’s drivers’ title in 2007, with only the 2008 constructors’ championship added since then.
At 17 years, this represents Ferrari’s longest drought without a world title since the F1 championship began in 1950, with last year breaking the previous 16-year record held between 1983 and 1999.
While a Lewis Hamilton drivers’ title would trigger enormous celebrations at Ferrari, the constructors’ championship carries far greater financial weight inside the paddock.
Former F1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer explained the mindset clearly, saying: “I used to tell the drivers they’re one of 1200 employees, and the other 1200 care about the constructors’ championship.”
Szafnauer added: “All the aero guys, the aero work that goes in the power train people, they don’t care which driver, apart from if you’re at Ferrari, they care more about the drivers’ championship.”
Former Ferrari race engineer Rob Smedley acknowledged that Ferrari place slightly more value on the drivers’ title than most teams do, given its external perception.
Smedley said: “Ferrari, there is this special myth about what I would call it an external perception of the world championships. Inside Formula One, it’s all about the constructors’, outside to the fans, it’s all about the [drivers] world championship.”
He continued: “In Ferrari, it’s a bit more of a mix. They do very much covet the drivers’ world championship, but they’re also quite like winning the constructors and the cash and the accolades that comes with it.”
Crucially, if Hamilton wins the drivers’ championship, neither he nor Ferrari receive a single penny from Liberty Media for that achievement.
By contrast, winning the constructors’ title could see Ferrari pocket over $275 million in total prize money, based on figures from the 2025 season.
Ferrari’s special status under the Concorde Agreement earns them five per cent of all prize money, which can rise to ten per cent if the total prize pool exceeds $1.6 billion.
In 2025, the total prize pool stood at $1.4 billion as total revenues reached $3.87 billion, with Ferrari finishing fourth in the constructors’ standings that year.
Teams such as Red Bull and Mercedes also receive sporting bonuses for sustained success, adding further financial incentive beyond the standard constructors’ championship split.
The remaining prize money is divided among the eleven teams in proportion to their constructors’ championship finish, with the champions estimated to earn around 14 per cent and the 11th-placed team earning around six per cent.
While drivers receive nothing directly from Liberty Media, they can negotiate a share of the team’s prize money through their contracts, an option far more available to established stars than to pay drivers.
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