Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull get $54% of F1 payout

Ferrari taking home the bacon

Ferrari's drop to third place in Formula 1 last year "did not stop the Maranello squad from maintaining its place" as F1's top commercial rights earner, according to Rencken & Barretto of MOTORSPORT. At the start of each season, Formula One Management "projects revenues from three streams" — hosting fees, media rights and other income avenues, such as hospitality and trackside sponsorship. FOM's '16 turnover is estimated at $1.83B, with underlying revenues estimated at $1.38B.

Revenues are distributed across the 10 teams through nine monthly payments from April, with a final "check" payment — when definitive revenues have been calculated — in March '18. The amount each team receives is "based on a series of factors, including performance over the course of the season, past success and special agreements." MOTORSPORT.