Where Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen sit in’s F1’s all-time rich list, with one icon well out in front
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are the most decorated current F1 stars with 11 drivers’ titles between them. However, it is one of their fellow icons who is in pole position when it comes to net worth.
Michael Schumacher remains F1’s richest figure with an estimated net worth of £472million. The German great was paid handsomely after reaching motorsport’s top table in 1991, especially during his decade-long stint with Ferrari, where he won five of his seven F1 titles.
After retiring at the end of 2006, Schumacher returned to the sport with Mercedes in 2010. After three unsuccessful years with the Silver Arrows, he re-retired before his devastating skiing accident in late 2013, which left him with life-altering head injuries.
Little is known about his condition, as his family has been determined to protect the privacy he tried to maintain during the height of his racing fame. But he remains in the hearts of F1 fans, especially those of Ferrari followers.
Next up on F1 rich list is Hamilton with an estimated net worth of £385m. Aside from earning upwards of £50m per year during his championship years with Mercedes, the current Ferrari driver has invested his wealth in a string of global ventures, including becoming a part-owner in the Denver Broncos NFL franchise.
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As for Verstappen, the four-time world champion is further down the list and trails another current F1 star in Fernando Alonso, who is worth an estimated £200m. The oldest driver on the grid at 44, the Spaniard first entered F1 in 2001.
Aside from his F1 earnings, Alonso boasts a management company, which has Sauder/Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto on its books, and the Kimoa clothing brand.
At just 27, with many more F1 seasons ahead of him if he chooses, Verstappen has the potential to vastly increase his estimated net worth of £168m. The Dutchman is believed to pocket an incredible £65million annually from Red Bull, where he has spent his entire F1 career to date.
Regarded as by far the best driver on the grid, Verstappen can effectively name his price should he decide to switch teams in the future.
If Red Bull are not competitive next season, when new engine and aerodynamic rules come into force, Verstappen could start looking for a way out, with Mercedes and Aston Martin his most likely suitors.
As for the new world champion, Lando Norris, who pipped Verstappen by just two points, the Briton has some catching up to do with an estimated net worth of just over £23m.
But Norris, who is paid £15m a year by McLaren, can expect to increase his wealth thanks to his new status as world champion.
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