Today I was looking at the Formula One Drivers salaries and there is a huge gulf from the new boys to the established drivers which you would expect. Some of them will be skewed as there will be performance targets triggering extra bonuses. Basically the more you perform the more you will earn creating a hunger.
source
Lewis sold his jet to go greener which is a joke knowing how many cars this guy has. Who is he trying to kid? More like he is trying to get the press of his arse as it was a tax dodge.
It is not surprising to see Lewis Hamilton at the top of the earning charts as he does far more than just drive a winning car. He is charismatic and is a good face for the team. He is a bit like Marmite ,you either like him or you don't.
source
One of many Mercedes he owns to go along with his Ferrari collection.
He will expect to earn in the region of €50.000.000 this coming year which is streaks ahead of everyone else. He does do a lot though as he not only fronts Mercedes on the advert side but has to attend numerous public relations functions. These also benefit him long term making a household/brand name for Hamilton as he is known globally. The relationship he has with Mercedes is good for both of them and expect to see him stay racing a little while longer before retiring.
source
Project One the car Lewis has been working on with Mercedes.
source
Not surprisingly Vettel owns a few Ferrari's,but is less flash than Hamilton.
Sebastien Vettel is on € 40 000 000 but then again he is a 4 time World Champion which doesn't come cheap. Unfortunately last season didn't go to plan and expect him to be replaced at the end of the 2020 season. He has earned over half a billion dollars in his career so far and has his own private personal assistant who controls his media image.
source
Max didn't have much choice being with Red Bull and Aston Martin as a sponsor. How terrible being forced to drive these things.
The new kid on the block Max Verstappen is now up there with the big boys earning a rumored € 40 000 000 per season with Red Bull. He is one of the drivers that was possibly being tempted by Mercedes so Red Bull coughed up and went big. He is the future of the sport plus he brings along the whole of Holland every time he races. No wonder the F 1 circuit has added his country on the list of races this year. Red Bull will get their return on investment with him as he is a special talent.
source
Bit of a bummer driving a Megane, but he still has his Aston Martins from Red Bull days.
Daniel Ricciardo is my favorite driver on the circuit earning € 18 000 000 per season, but he has many add ons.If Renault can get the right car together mixed together with some luck ,he could possibly double his earnings. I understand why he left Red Bull as the challenge of setting up a new car with a manufacturer was just too appealing.
source
20th birthday present from Ferrari.
Charles Le Clerc is with Ferrari and expect his salary to jump at some point as he is on only € 9 000 000. He is the new face of Ferrari and is their future unless Hamilton moves over at the end of this season and puts his nose out of joint. Le Clerc is one driver along with Perez who I just don't like as they come across as spoiled and are used to getting their own way. He showed his true colors when he tried to put Hamilton into the barriers at the Italian Grand Prix.
source
He had no choice as he has other cars,but he does drive for Mercedes.
Valtteri Bottas is Hamiltons team mate and earns around 7 x less as he is on a bargain € 7 500 000 per season. Quieter than Hamilton as he is more reserved and stays behind the scenes more. I actually think he is the perfect number 2 for Hamilton and why Mercedes have done so well over the last few years. He may have come second in the Championship behind Hamilton, but he wasn't really challenging him either. He works well in the team and I feel is worth a lot more than what he is getting.
The youngsters who make up the numbers and possibly may move to a bigger team when seats become available are George Russell who is with Williams earning 200 000 per year and very little hope of earning any add on bonuses. Esteban Ocon who is now with Renault after being the Mercedes test driver earns 1 500 000 per year and is good enough to possibly move back to Mercedes at the end of this new season. Mercedes have a clause in his contract that they have first dibs on him if they want him back.
source
Strolls dad is rumored to be buying shares in Aston Martin, but he has no chance of driving for Red Bull. Here is his dads yacht which has a price tag of $200 Million.
Lance Stroll is in a funny position as he doesn't really need the money as his dad owns the team he races for. I have never rated his driving skills along with Perez as the only reason they got their first drive in the first place was buying the seat.Stroll earns 1 Million per season and must be like pocket change for him.
The salaries are high for the number one drivers in the teams,but then again they risk their lives doing this sport and they are number one for a reason. Teams get paid by the FIA on what points they achieve per season so having the best driving your car makes perfect sense. Hamilton gives a return for Mercedes on his salary by winning as they can demand higher sponsorship deals that go on the car.
After this season it will be interesting who will move where and who will lose their seats as the new licence has opened up new opportunities for new faces to take their places. The drivers are no longer protected like it was as there were only a handful of extra Super Licence drivers floating around. Many are under pressure to perform this season otherwise their careers are over.
