Carlos Sainz, the Ferrari driver, is making a strong push at Imola.
Ferrari are reportedly set to keep their historic bonus payment in the new Concorde Agreement for F1 2026 – but the amount of money the team receive is likely to be capped.
Recently, Greg Maffei, CEO of the commercial rights holders for Formula 1, disclosed that the 10 teams participating in F1 have been provided with a preliminary version of the Concorde Agreement for the year 2026.
Ferrari F1 bonus payments to remain – with significant tweak
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
The Concorde Agreement serves as the essential binding document for F1, establishing the overall structure of regulations and commercial terms, including the allocation of prize money to teams.
Ferrari‘s importance to F1 – as the sport’s most famous manufacturer and the only team to have participated in every season of the World Championship since it inauguration in 1950 – has seen the Scuderia controversially rewarded with extra bonus payments over the years.
And a report by Motorsport.com has claimed that Ferrari’s special treatment is set to continue – albeit at a reduced level – under the new Concorde Agreement for 2026.
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Ferrari currently receives a bonus payment amounting to a minimum of 5 percent of the total prize fund distributed among the teams.
As the prize pot of F1 grows, Ferrari is believed to receive an increasing share through an escalator mechanism, eventually reaching 10% when it reaches approximately $1.6 billion.
According to the report, it is believed that F1’s income figures are very similar to that amount. The proposed new Concorde Agreement suggests that Ferrari’s bonus will be limited to five percent, irrespective of the overall prize pool’s size.
The news comes after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner both spoke optimistically of negotiations over the new Concorde Agreement.
During last weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Wolff informed the media, including Thomas Maher from PlanetF1.com, that Formula 1 has laid out the fundamental plans for the upcoming five-year term.
“There is an element of goodness present. We have a few matters to address, including the pros and cons, and naturally, there will be some negotiations involved.”
However, at its core, our collective goal remains the same: to foster the growth of the sport.
“That implies an increase in the bottom line, which in turn leads to benefits for both the teams and the sport.”
Since Liberty took over in 2017, F1 has been enjoying a surge in popularity. Horner emphasized the importance of gradual change rather than a complete overhaul.
He further commented, “The conversation will likely revolve around the teams desiring more and the promoter seeking more, but overall our current system functions quite effectively.”
In my opinion, the foundation of it seems quite solid. However, as the sport progresses and expands, there are certain aspects of the agreement that we can fine-tune.
However, I believe that the primary approach will be adjustment rather than a complete revolution.
There are instances when it’s best to leave things as they are if they are not damaged.
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