F1’s ten highest-paid drivers revealed as Lewis Hamilton is knocked off the top spot for first time in years

The pair have been F1’s headline act in recent years, with their rivalry seeing sparks fly both on and off the track as they took the 2021 championship down to the last lap of the season.

And while the Dutchman claimed victory in that battle, a year on he has added the lucrative title of F1’s best paid driver to his name.

As revealed by Forbes, the Red Bull driver is taking home a cool £33million ($40m) plus £16.5m in bonuses ($20m).

Verstappen, 25, signed a bumper new-deal with Red Bull ahead of the 2022 season, and he paid back the deal with 15 race wins and shattering the record for most points scored in a season with 454.

Hamilton falls just short of his rival, though not in the basic salary department.

Indeed, the Brit’s annual salary dwarfs Verstappen’s by around £12.4m ($15m), with Hamilton earning £45.3m ($55m) WITHOUT bonuses.

Verstappen’s champion bonus has given him the edge over Hamilton in this case, but Hamilton remains one of the most marketable assets in Motorsport, with him earning £6.6m ($8m) in endorsements off-track.

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Moving down the list is another driver with Hamilton history.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso claims the final podium spot, with the 41-year-old earning £24.7m ($30m) in 2022.

And like Hamilton, he has secured this deal with just a basic salary.

Not that this has stopped him from swapping Alpine for Aston Martin next season.

Mexican Sergio Perez comes in fourth with £21.4m ($26m) earned.

The 32-year-old narrowly lost out on second spot in the driver’s championship to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, but still earned a juicy £13.2m ($16m) in bonuses.

Leclerc comes in next after earning £18.9m ($23m) over 2022.

The Monegasque will be hoping he can make more of a dent in Verstappen’s title charge next season and be the first driver to win a title for the Tifosi since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.