Formula One drivers chase world titles and Constructors’ Championship success, but crashes often lead to massive repair bills. In the high-stakes world of F1, collisions rack up costs in the millions. The 2025 season highlighted drivers’ error-prone moments, crowning an unwanted ‘Destructors’ Championship’ leader. Below is the full ranking of damage costs inflicted on teams.
Least Costly Drivers (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, losing his Red Bull seat after two races. He crashed out in the season-opening New Zealand Grand Prix and finished 12th in his final outing for the team. Moving to Racing Bulls brought no relief, with first-lap collisions in Mexico and Miami, plus another in the Miami Sprint. Lawson also suffered two crashes in Singapore free practice sessions FP2 and FP3.
9. Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto triggered three red flags in qualifying during 2025. A heavy Q1 crash halted Emilia-Romagna session, followed by a gravel spin into barriers at Silverstone Q1 and another Q1 incident in Azerbaijan that avoided flags. Inconsistency plagues Colapinto’s career, though he starts 2026 with Alpine.
8. Isack Hadjar
Isack Hadjar’s rookie year ended 12th overall with a Dutch Grand Prix podium, but mishaps mounted. He spun into a DNS on the wet formation lap at Australia debut. Rain struck again at Silverstone, rear-ending Kimi Antonelli. A Q1 crash at the United States Grand Prix also drew red flags. Hadjar joins Red Bull for 2026.
7. Jack Doohan
Jack Doohan raced only six times before replacement, but incidents hit four events. A 331km/h FP2 crash in Japan wrecked his car and red-flagged the session. He failed to finish first laps in Australia and Miami, clashing with Lawson in the latter. Doohan collided in both China Sprint and Grand Prix, earning penalties.
6. Oscar Piastri
Title contender Oscar Piastri endured key crashes amid tight battles. In Azerbaijan, he wall-stuck in Q3 then locked up on lap one for a DNF, sparking an eight-race winless streak that eroded his lead. Additional damage came from incidents in Australia and Qatar.
5. Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc joined the $2 million club with five major incidents. He aquaplaned off the grid in Miami Sprint, causing severe damage. Q3 crash in Baku hit barriers. Grand Prix tangles with Kimi Antonelli occurred in Holland and Brazil, the latter a chain reaction penalizing Piastri.
4. Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll avoided Grand Prix crashes but faltered elsewhere. A United States Sprint collision with Esteban Ocon drew a five-place penalty. Zandvoort saw FP2 and qualifying crashes with red flags. Baku qualifying and free practice crashes in Montreal and Monaco followed; Monaco’s unsafe rejoin hit Leclerc, earning a penalty.
3. Lando Norris
Newly crowned champion Lando Norris faced pressure-fueled errors. A Saudi Arabia Q3 crash cost pole potential. Teammate clashes peaked in Canada, retiring after hitting Piastri, and United States Sprint opening-corner contact sidelined both, aiding Verstappen’s title push.
2. Yuki Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull stint featured massive crashes. A barrel-roll at Emilia-Romagna ranked among 2025’s worst. Saudi Arabia saw pit-lane damage from Antonelli contact before a lap-one DNF.
1. Gabriel Bortoleto
Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto topped the list near $4 million. Interlagos home race dominated costs: a 339km/h, 91G Sprint final-lap wreck hospitalized him, requiring a full rebuild. The new car lasted four laps before colliding with Stroll. Four more retirements sealed his unwanted record.
