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Lewis Hamilton Poised to Overtake Max Verstappen’s $75 Million Earnings to Become the Highest Paid Driver Once Again

Somin Bhattacharjee
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First Place Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Third Place Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes celebrate on the podium, Race, F1 Grand Prix of Spain, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari in 2025 has been the biggest build-up narrative heading into the new season. It is the union of two of F1’s biggest names — the most successful driver and team ever.

Commercially, it is expected to be the biggest driver move in the sport’s history, with the Briton’s arrival already having a positive impact on the Italian company’s stocks. In the short-term too, Hamilton is expected to reclaim the title of F1’s highest-paid driver from Max Verstappen.

Verstappen signed a contract with Red Bull in 2022, that promised him $60 million in base salary with $15 million in bonuses, per Forbes. Recently, the same source has stated that Hamilton will likely be earning a figure north of $75 million in the red overalls of Ferrari.

AS reported that taking the base pay, sponsors, rights, and bonuses into account, Hamilton’s yearly salary will be around $100 million, making him the highest-paid Ferrari and F1 driver of all time.

Hamilton’s popularity, and what he could bring to the team — in terms of talent, experience, and his larger-than-life personality — makes this seem like a reasonable amount for Ferrari to have agreed to. A lot of it also has to do with F1’s growth as a whole, with driver salaries having seen an upward trajectory over the last few years.

One of the biggest benefactors of this has been Lando Norris of McLaren.

Why is there an increase in the salaries of F1 drivers?

Norris, although not F1’s biggest name yet, has become increasingly popular over the years, and coupled with his talent behind the wheel, he has become an invaluable asset to McLaren. The Bristol-born driver likely knew that before he started contract negotiations with McLaren in 2022, which saw his salary increase from just over $20 million to around $35 million currently.

Other drivers like Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, and George Russell too, have had bumps in their paychecks with recent contracts signed, because teams want drivers who are marketable and compensate those who seem worthy accordingly.

The amount of money has increased because of F1’s commercial appeal as a whole. The sport is more popular than ever today because of social media and the popularity of the show Drive to Survive.

Plus, the drivers’ salaries are not a part of F1’s budget cap, which makes it easier for teams to offer huge amounts to entice them. With F1 getting bigger and bigger every year, this amount is also expected to increase even further.

Post Edited By:Aishwary Gaonkar

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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