Kimi Antonelli is on the verge of becoming Formula 1's youngest world champion while earning one of the smallest base salaries on the grid. According to German newspaper Bild, the title would trigger a Mercedes bonus that takes his 2026 earnings to just under €10 million.

The Italian arrives in Mexico City with a 123-point lead over George Russell and needs just two more points to seal the championship. GPblog has already explained how Mercedes can also wrap up the constructors' crown that weekend while a title would also change Antonelli's earnings for the season.

Bild says Antonelli's title bonus dwarfs his base pay

Bild reports that Antonelli's base salary in his second F1 season is just $2 million. The German publication says the title bonus would lift his total for the year to "slightly less than €10 million", or around $11 million. That is more than five times his reported base.

On base pay alone, the championship leader sits near the bottom of the field, although Mercedes has not confirmed any of these figures, and the estimates vary.

Title gives Antonelli leverage before 2027

Antonelli's current deal is the next question. He is signed for at least 2027 although he could be rewarded with a new deal over the winter to recognise his position as an F1 would champion.

Russell remains the benchmark at Brackley

Any new deal would be measured against George Russell's. Estimates of his pay vary widely. Last year, Bild reported that it would rise to around €25 million per season, and some salary trackers now put it even higher. Either way, the Briton earns several times his team-mate's base pay while trailing him by more than 120 points.

Russell's own future is less clear-cut. He told The Telegraph last year that his 2027 renewal depends on hitting a performance target, and he later described the contract as a multi-year deal.
If his team-mate becomes champion and is paid like one, the balance between the two Mercedes drivers is likely to shift beyond the timing sheets.