Question… Who was the Highest Earning F1 Driver 22/23?
In a surprise turn of events, Lewis Hamilton outearned Max Verstappen despite his disastrous F1 season, becoming the Highest Earning F1 driver from May 2022 to May 2023.
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In total, Hamilton pocketed a whopping $65m/£52m, versus Verstappen who trailed closely behind with $64m/£51m.
On the field, Hamilton took home $55m/£44m, being beaten by Verstappen who earned $60m/£48m.
However it was the Off Track revenue that tipped the scales in Lewis’s favour. He raked in $10m/£8m compared to Max’s $4m/£3m.
Forbes recently unveiled their list of the highest-paid athletes of 2023, covering the period from May 1, 2022, to May 1, 2023.
It may come as a suprise to some that Lewis Hamilton secured the 21st spot on the prestigious list, while Max Verstappen was nipping at his heels in 22nd place.
What makes this revelation truly astonishing is the fact that Hamilton’s earnings coincided with his worst-ever season in F1. In a complete reversal of fortune, Hamilton failed to win a single grand prix, and even his teammate George Russell outperformed him.
Unfortunately for Hamilton and the Mercedes team, the current season hasn’t shown any signs of improvement either. He continues the struggle to end his winless streak.
Meanwhile, Verstappen enjoyed an exceptional year, triumphing in 15 grand prix races and clinching his second consecutive title.
To make matters even more impressive, Verstappen has already claimed victory five times in 2023.
Both drivers’ earnings encompassed bonuses earned through race wins and championship titles.
Interestingly, Hamilton’s off-field earnings remained more than double that of Verstappen’s, accounting for sponsorships, appearance fees, memorabilia, and licensing income.
Its worth noting that Lewis and Max were the only representatives of motorsports in the list of the top 50 highest-earning athletes.
Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the coveted title of the highest-paid athlete, followed closely by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
So despite his lackluster performance, Hamilton can say he beat Verstappen at something atleast, last year.
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