A brand new era of Formula 1 begins this weekend with the traditional season-opener – the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne.
Lando Norris is riding high, having claimed his first F1 world championship last season, pipping four-time champion Max Verstappen by two points in a tense season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Yet with new engine and chassis regulations, and a new team in Cadillac, McLaren are not the frontrunners ahead of the new campaign. Instead, Mercedes’s engine prowess puts them top of the list, with British driver George Russell the favourite with the bookies.
And what about Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton? The seven-time world champion endured a terrible debut year at the Scuderia, failing even to register a podium. However, the 41-year-old and teammate Charles Leclerc looked strong in pre-season testing and are right in contention this weekend.
Here is everything we know about the prize money on offer to the teams in 2026:
How much money can teams win from the Constructors’ Championship?
Formula 1’s huge prize pot centres around the constructors’ championship, with the pot made up of 50 per cent of F1’s commercial rights revenue for each season.
As an example, that figure was $3.2bn (£2.3bn) in 2023, meaning an estimated prize fund of $1.6bn (£1.2bn).
Some deductions are made to acknowledge the value of particular teams, such as Ferrari, given their global popularity to attract fans to the sport above some of the smaller teams.
Following those deductions, the remaining figure is split between the now 11 teams; the champions will pocket an estimated 14 per cent, with last place taking just six per cent.
McLaren were estimated to have earned $140m (£110m) for their title in 2024, with each team after taking approximately £7m less with each position.
What is the breakdown of prize money?
1st – $140m
2nd – $131m
3rd – $122m
4th – $113m
5th – $104m
6th – $95m
7th – $87m
8th – $78m
9th – $69m
10th – $60m
11th – $51m
Figures are approximate and currently based on 2025 sums
How many points are available per race?
Each team can claim up to a maximum of 44 points on a regular race weekend. The race winner claims 25 points, with 18 to second, while there is an extra point for the driver who produces the fastest lap of the race, provided they finish in the top 10.
The points are then shared from third down to 10th: 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1.
What happens if the teams are tied on points?
If both teams are tied on the same amount of points by the end of the season, the team with the most wins across the season would therefore win the title.
The next tie-breaker is the most second-place finishes, then third-place finishes and so on.
