Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton continue to rule the F1 headlines ever since the latter’s move to the Italian outfit became official. As expected, the stellar move involves the big bucks, and, per a report by Vincenzo Landino in Read Qualifier, the entire deal between the two parties could well be around the $400 million mark, with $100 million being his salary alone.
Given the recent rise in the stock prices of Ferrari owing to the demand for luxury items, the company will easily be able to fund the multi-million dollar deal, given their 2024 forecast.
Furthermore, Ferrari President John Elkann has been a long-time admirer of the 7-time world champion, and with money being no constraint, it was just a matter of drumming up an offer lucrative enough for Hamilton to not say ‘No’ to them.
Lewis Hamilton’s contract with Ferrari will reportedly pay him over $100 million per year
An average annual salary in that range would’ve put him among the top ten athletes in total earnings last year:
Cristiano Ronaldo $136 million
Lionel Messi $130 million
Kylian… pic.twitter.com/sQ8jd5eDMq— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) February 2, 2024
To celebrate Hamilton’s diversity and inclusivity initiatives, Elkann committed to embarking on a joint investment fund with Exor to contribute a little over $270 million to Hamilton’s Mission 44.
Following the 2025 season, the British driver will have the option to extend his contract with Ferrari for another year. Should he opt to do so, another year’s salary would be credited to his account. All in all, in a span of two to three years, chances are Hamilton could easily earn an amount north of the $400 million mark.
The Lewis Hamilton-Ferrari partnership will not be a one-way street
Set to earn $400 million over 2025 and 26, Hamilton shall not emerge as the only one benefiting from the monumental deal. Given his status as the most successful driver in the history of F1 (103 Grands Prix wins), he brings a special standing with him, and his on-track experience might be crucial in helping Ferrari develop a much better car for the 2026 season.
Aside from the on-track elements, Hamilton’s off-track engagements would also prove to be of vital importance to Ferrari, who would want nothing more than to further expand their horizons. This is the very base of the rumors that Hamilton could also become an Ambassador for the team in the coming years.
With the Lewis Hamilton move to Ferrari, @F1 beat their 2023 race day averages with huge social media stats yesterday:
330M impressions
$8.6M social value
17.1M engagementsThe Instagram post of @ScuderiaFerrari‘s 2025 lineup was F1’s #1 post of the past year. pic.twitter.com/pF3zmsdmbb
— Zoomph (@Zoomph) February 2, 2024
The 39-year-old’s inclusion in the team will inevitably see rapid growth in the sale of their merchandise, as Hamilton has nearly 3x more followers than Charles Leclerc (2nd on the list of most followed F1 drivers on social media).
Apart from the merchandise, sponsorship deals might also jumble around, owing to the Briton’s global stardom, with top brands willing to shell out the big bucks to continue their affiliation with Hamilton.
The collaboration between Hamilton and Ferrari will undoubtedly prove to be one of the biggest partnerships in the history of F1 and will pave the way for a monumental new chapter in the sport.