While all the prestige in Formula 1 lies in the Drivers' World Championship, the bills are paid through the Constructors' Championship.
Teams entrust drivers nearly 25 times a year to score them the crucial points they need to try and claim an extra position in the Constructors' - which could be worth millions of dollars come the end of the campaign and final tallies are in.
Big money is paid out to ensure the best drivers are in your car, but who were the best 'Value for money' drivers throughout 2022?
World Champion Max Verstappen scored the most points ever in a single-season with 454, but thanks to his rather high base salary, others proved slightly more economical.
NOTE: The salary figures in the table below refer to the estimated base salary for the drivers, and not counting any race or championship bonuses.
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F1 drivers salaries vs points in 2022
| Driver | Points | Salary - US Dollars | Cost per point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | 454 | 35,000,000 | 77,093 |
| Charles Leclerc | 308 | 12,000,000 | 38,961 |
| Sergio Perez | 305 | 10,000,000 | 32,787 |
| George Russell | 275 | 5,000,000 | 18,182 |
| Carlos Sainz Jr | 246 | 10,000,000 | 40,650 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 240 | 40,000,000 | 166,667 |
| Lando Norris | 122 | 15,000,000 | 122,951 |
| Esteban Ocon | 92 | 5,000,000 | 54,348 |
| Fernando Alonso | 81 | 20,000,000 | 246,914 |
| Valtteri Bottas | 49 | 10,000,000 | 204,082 |
| Daniel Ricciardo | 37 | 15,000,000 | 405,405 |
| Sebastian Vettel | 37 | 15,000,000 | 405,405 |
| Kevin Magnussen | 25 | 5,000,000 | 200,000 |
| Pierre Gasly | 23 | 5,000,000 | 217,391 |
| Lance Stroll | 18 | 10,000,000 | 555,556 |
| Mick Schumacher | 12 | 1,000,000 | 83,333 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | 12 | 750,000 | 62,500 |
| Zhou Guanyu | 6 | 1,000,000 | 166,667 |
| Alex Albon | 4 | 2,000,000 | 500,000 |
| Nicholas Latifi | 2 | 1,000,000 | 500,000 |
Russell most economical, Stroll most expensive
Of the 20 drivers, it is Mercedes' George Russell who proved the most economical, costing the team $18,182 for each of his 275 points for his $5,000,000 salary.
Teammate Lewis Hamilton's 240 point haul was worth $166k apiece thanks to his mega $40,000,000 salary - the highest of any driver on the grid.
World Champion Max Verstappen's record-breaking haul of 454 points was against a salary of $35,000,000.
That works out at $77,093 per point for Red Bull, with teammate Sergio Perez coming in at 32,787 for his 305 points on a $10,000,000 pay packet.
At the other end of the scale, it was Lance Stroll who was the most costly driver - the Aston Martin racer costing the team $555,556 for his 18 points on a $10m salary.
Across the garage, Sebastian Vettel didn't prove much more economical, costing a hefty $405,405 for 37 points hauled, while receiving $15 million in salary - the same figures as Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren.
Eight of the drivers - Verstappen, Russell, Perez, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon, Mick Schumacher and Yuki Tsunoda were all within five figures, while the other 12 all ended with six-figure sums.
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