Formula One drivers chase world titles and team successes, but crashes often result in massive repair bills. In the high-stakes 2025 season, incidents piled up, costing teams millions. Data reveals the drivers who inflicted the most damage, ranked from lowest to highest costs among select positions.
Damage Costs Ranking (Positions 21-11)
| Position | Driver | Team | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | $450,000 |
| 20 | George Russell | Mercedes | $475,000 |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | $692,000 |
| 18 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | $910,000 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | $927,000 |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | $1,039,000 |
| 15 | Alexander Albon | Williams | $1,230,000 |
| 14 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | $1,327,000 |
| 13 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Williams | $1,532,000 |
| 12 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | $1,650,000 |
| 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | $1,707,000 |
Top 10 Most Expensive Drivers
10. Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson struggled in 2025. Red Bull dropped him after two races, including a crash in his home opener and a 12th-place finish in his last outing. At Racing Bulls, issues persisted with first-lap collisions in Mexico and Miami, plus another in the Miami Sprint. He also crashed twice in Singapore free practice sessions.
9. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
Franco Colapinto triggered multiple red flags. In Emilia-Romagna Q1, a heavy crash halted qualifying. Silverstone Q1 saw him spin into gravel and barriers. Azerbaijan Q1 added another incident, though without flags. Inconsistency marks his career, but he starts 2026 with Alpine.
8. Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar’s rookie year included a 12th-place finish and a Dutch GP podium, but mishaps abounded. He spun on the wet formation lap in Australia for a DNS. Rain at Silverstone led to a crash into Kimi Antonelli. A U.S. GP Q1 incident brought red flags. He now races for Red Bull.
7. Jack Doohan
Jack Doohan raced six times before replacement. Incidents hit four events, including a 331km/h FP2 crash in Japan that red-flagged the session. First-lap failures came in Australia and Miami, clashing with Lawson in the latter. China saw collisions in Sprint and GP, earning penalties.
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Oscar Piastri’s title bid faltered amid crashes. In Azerbaijan, a Q3 wall hit preceded a lap-one DNF from lockup, sparking an eight-race winless streak. Additional damage occurred in Australia and Qatar.
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Charles Leclerc joined the $2 million damage club with five major incidents. He aquaplaned on Miami Sprint formation lap, missing the grid. Baku Q3 ended in barriers. GP crashes tangled with Kimi Antonelli in Holland and Brazil, the latter a chain reaction.
4. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Lance Stroll avoided GP crashes but struggled elsewhere. A U.S. Sprint clash with Esteban Ocon drew a five-place penalty. Zandvoort saw FP2 and qualifying crashes with red flags. Baku qualifying, Montreal FP, and Monaco FP added to the tally, including an unsafe rejoin into Leclerc.
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
Lando Norris clinched the 2025 title in Abu Dhabi despite pressure-fueled incidents nearing $3 million. A Saudi Q3 crash cost pole. He retired crashing into teammate Piastri in Canada and collided in U.S. Sprint opening corner, aiding Verstappen’s title push.
2. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
Yuki Tsunoda endured big crashes post-Red Bull switch. A barrel-roll at Emilia-Romagna ranked among 2025’s worst. Saudi Arabia featured pit-lane damage with Antonelli and a lap-one GP DNF.
1. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto topped the list near $4 million. Interlagos delivered huge costs: a 339km/h, 91G Sprint final-lap crash hospitalized him, requiring a full rebuild. The new car lasted four corners in the GP after clashing with Stroll. Four retirements compounded the bill.
