“It was the largest deal in the history of motorsports”: Check out the biggest Formula 1 contracts of all time

Let us look back at some of the biggest deals in F1 history as McLaren star driver recently penned down an £80 million with McLaren.

Lando Norris just signed an £80 million with McLaren. With four podiums and a sixth position finish in the driver’s championship, he is viewed as the upcoming driver’s world champion.

McLaren also received a fresh £550m investment from the Saudi Public Investment Fund in view to winning the constructors championship within five years.

However, did you know, Norris’s £80 million contract is still not the most lucrative Formula 1 contract? Let us look at the biggest Formula 1 driver contracts:

Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher was paid a whopping £91 million while joining Ferrari in 1996. Despite being £22.75 million a year, it was the largest deal in the history of motorsports at that time.

The money paid was well worth it as the German international won five consecutive titles from 2000 to 2004.

Kimi Raikkonen

The Iceman signed a three-year deal with Ferrari. The deal was worth over £112 million with one aim of winning the championship. Raikkonen defeated Lewis Hamilton by 1 point to secure the driver’s championship in 2007.

Also Read: Lando Norris is on his way to break the records of a former driver at McLaren

Lewis Hamilton

The seven-times world champion received a whopping £103 million contract from team Mercedes. They rewarded him for his performance on the track counting to almost £1.47 million a race.

The Briton also signed a two-year extension with the team that is worth £40million a year ending in 2023.

He is also sponsored by brands like Puma, Bose, Tommy Hilfiger which adds a few million to the bank account.

Sebastian Vettel

The four-times world champion agreed to join Ferrari after a revolutionary journey with Red Bull. The deal was worth £81 million over three seasons.

Also Read: Sebastian Vettel denies the possibility of replacing Lewis Hamilton amidst rumors of Mercedes interest

However, Vettel failed to win the driver’s championship with the Prancing Horse. He is currently employed by Aston Martin where he is paid  £11 million annually.

Max Verstappen

Surprisingly, the 2021 world champion earns way less than the drivers mentioned in the list. He takes home £18.27 million annually after signing a deal in 2020.

We can surely wonder if the next Verstappen contract will be the most lucrative deal in Formula 1 history.

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• Kimi Raikkonen
• Lando Norris
• Lewis Hamilton
• Max Verstappen
• Michael Schumacher
• Sebastian Vettel