Recently, The Mirror released a list of highest paid drivers in F1 for the 2019 season. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel adorn the top of the leaderboard.

The 2019 season will once again become a gruelling 21-race calendar so each of the 20 drivers have earned every penny.

These drivers deserve their respective salaries as they are piloting the finest machine in racing. When one is always on the edge when racing and tethering on the thin line between perfection and disaster. That alone merits a little more than minimum wage for an average Formula One driver.

However, the real surprising factor is the abyss in terms of earnings from the top to the tail end of the grid. The base salary is just the start, with bonuses and sponsorship deals making up the rest of the numbers.

As expected, Hamilton tops the chart from rival, Vettel. The Briton rocketed ahead with a new deal penned at Mercedes for the 2019 F1 season. It is believed that Lewis Hamilton will be pocketing £40 million a year until the end of 2020.

Meanwhile, title-rival Vettel earns a remuneration that is just as high. The Ferrari driver is set to earn a cool £30.5 million a year for his services.

Interestingly, Daniel Ricciardo has jumped up to third in the salary standings. However, this is mostly due to he recent link up with Renault for the 2019 season. As it turns out, his two-year deal with the French outfit was nearly triple his Red Bull wage. As of now he earns a reported £26.5m a year.

Right at the other end of the scale is Thai driver Alexander Albon. The Toro Rosso rookie will be earning £130,000 per year. Also, all the rookies are the lowest earning drivers, with only Robert Kubica the highest paid among them.