F1 drivers are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world. Considering the amount of talent and skills the drivers possess behind the wheel, it is only logical that they get paid the big bucks. However, there are other factors such as popularity and sponsorships, which play a big role in determining the contract and salary of the drivers.

Currently, the grid is arguably the strongest it has ever been in the sport’s history. This also means that the teams on the grid are diving into their pockets to keep the drivers with them. But let’s see who are the highest-paid drivers in F1 right now.

Is Lewis Hamilton still the highest-paid driver on the F1 Grid?

Lewis Hamilton is statistically the most successful driver in F1 history. He often features in the highest-paid athletes’ annual lists. So it is safe to assume that Mercedes pays him a hefty sum of money.

=1. Lewis Hamilton

As reported by talksport.com, the 7-time world champion remains one of the highest-paid drivers on the grid in 2022, right alongside Verstappen. He racks up around $50.4 million annually.

Trending

Daniel Ricciardo To Be Replaced by Liam Lawson After Miami, F1 Pundit Dishes Out Harsh Verdict After Australian’s “Amateur Mistake”

April 17, 2024 11:14 AM EDT

Adrian Newey Hits Out at Climate Activist Lewis Hamilton’s Fuel Protest, Desperate to See V10 Engines Again

April 15, 2024 12:35 PM EDT

“I Was Quite Depressed”: Adrian Newey Makes Brutal Revelation as He Reveals Red Bull Heavily “Struggling”

April 15, 2024 02:38 PM EDT

Charles Leclerc: “I’ve Been Suffering More Than [Carlos] Sainz Has”

April 18, 2024 12:13 PM EDT

F1 Rumor: Carlos Sainz Offered 2-Year Deal for Mercedes by Toto Wolff

April 12, 2024 12:16 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest F1 stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

=1. Max Verstappen

The Red Bull driver and current F1 world champion signed a new mammoth contract with the team after his 2021 title win. So now he is on par with Hamilton in terms of salary. After his new contract, Max gets a solid $50.4 million from the Austrian team.

=3. Fernando Alonso

When it was announced that the Spanish icon was returning to F1 for 2021, it is safe to assume that Alpine would have to loosen their pockets a bit for him. Considering how well he is doing in the sport despite his age, according to manofmany.com, Alonso justified $20 million.

=3. Lando Norris

The McLaren driver has gradually established himself as one of the best drivers on the grid. His new contract extension with the team not only gave him the surety of his career but also offers him $20 million.

=5. Sebastian Vettel

The 4-time world champion is still very influential in the sport and has valuable experience to offer to Aston Martin. For his efforts in guiding the iconic British brand on the track, he gets a decent pay of $15 million.

=5. Daniel Ricciardo

The Aussie driver is one of the most popular drivers on the grid and is a known entity outside F1 as well. He has a contract with Mclaren until the end of 2023, which gives an annual salary of $15 million.

7. Charles Leclerc

The Ferrari golden boy is a future star and for that, they pay him a salary of $12 million. Although that might change if he wins the 2022 world championship.

Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, and Carlos Sainz are an essential part of their respective teams. But they all get a decent salary of $10 million for their individual efforts. Sergio Perez is doing pretty well for Red Bull alongside Verstappen and gets $8 million.

The returning Kevin Magnussen is enjoying his revival in F1 and Haas pays him a solid $6 million for his speed behind the wheel. The young and promising group of Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, and George Russell is quite talented, and gets an equal pay of $5 million.

Alex Albon gets a good amount of $2 million from Williams in his first year with the team. Nicholas Latifi, Guanyu Zhou, and Mick Schumacher are at the back of the grid currently and get the same sum of $1 million. And at the bottom of the list, we have Yuki Tsunoda, who gets paid $750,000.

Which F1 Drivers are Married?

There might be some changes to the salaries of the drivers as the silly season approaches during the summer break. It will give an opportunity for teams and drivers to assess their futures and priorities.

Will we see a chaotic silly season in 2022?

As per The Race, with so many drivers approaching the end of their contracts this year, this silly season is bound to be chaotic. Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Nicholas Latifi, Sebastian Vettel, Mick Schumacher, and Guanyu Zhou are the ones who only have a contract till 2022.

Although not every one of the above-mentioned drivers is in danger of losing their seats. There are some who need to sort out their future and their place in F1 very soon.

WATCH THIS STORY: F1 Driver Salaries Revealed: How Much Do Lewis Hamilton & Co. Earn?

Let’s see what the summer break holds for these drivers and their place at the pinnacle of motorsport. As things stand, there might be a couple of unpredictable driver moves in store for the fans for the 2023 season.