There are 22 seats in Formula 1. Getting one takes about fifteen years and several million dollars, and the talent is only half of it.
Almost every current F1 driver began karting between six and ten years old. Competitive international karting runs to $100,000 a year or more. Then you climb the ladder. Formula 4 is for 15-17 year olds and it's roughly $200,000 to $300,000 a season. Formula Regional is for 17-18 year olds and it's $300,000 to $500,000. Then FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2, which can run to $3 million a season, and the drivers pay the teams rather than the teams paying for the drivers.
The total from karting to an F1 debut can be anywhere between $5 million and $12 million depending on the path a driver takes.
Drivers do eventually need to get a Super License, but it has hard requirements. Drivers must have 40 points over three seasons in FIA-approved championships. They also must complete 80% of two full seasons in a recognized single-seater series. They have to have driven 300km in a representative F1 car, and they have to be 18 unless the FIA makes an exception for someone underage. Drivers must also pass a theory test on sporting regulations and then have to hold a valid road driving license.
Winning F2 or finishing second or third gets the drivers all 40 points on its own. And on top of all that, the license itself costs money. The base fee for 2026 is €11,842, roughly $13,900. Then €2,392, about $2,800, for every championship point you scored last season. So Antonelli's license next year will cost a fortune and the lower scoring drivers will pay the minimum amount. The teams foot the bill, and it sits outside the budget cap.
The rules do get enforced. Colton Herta was denied a Super License in 2022 despite a strong IndyCar record. He's now driving FP1 sessions for Cadillac on a separate Free Practice license which requires 25 points scored instead of 40.
The talent gets drivers noticed. The money gets them to the start line. And even then, there's only 22 seats.