LEWIS HAMILTON is comfortably Formula One’s top earner on an awe inspiring £40million pay packet.
Mercedes star Hamilton earns well over twice as much as every other driver after signing a stunning new contract earlier this year.
Ahead of the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, Lando Norris entered the top ten with his new £6m contract to race for McLaren to 2023.
Sebastian Vettel was the second highest-earner in 2020 but traded his £37m Ferrari pay packet for a more modest £7.3m at Aston Martin.
While returning legend Fernando Alonso is on a £6.55m deal with Alpine.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is on a £18.2m contract that dwarfs new team-mate Sergio Perez’s deal.
The Mexican’s 2021 salary is thought to be £4.37m, which is still a rise from the £2.5m he earned at Racing Point last year.
Daniel Ricciardo comes in at joint-third on a £10.2m deal with McLaren, a reduction on his £16m Renault wage with a heavily bonus-based agreement at his new home.
Charles Leclerc is reportedly on the same fee at Ferrari, ahead of Scuderia newboy Carlos Sainz.
The Spaniard is one of the few drivers to earn a pay rise for the new season with a bump up to £7.3m after swapping Ferrari from McLaren while Valtteri Bottas at world champions Mercedes is down in ninth on £5.82m.
Kimi Raikkonen, Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon are the only other drivers thought to earn seven-figure sums.
The new season has seen a handful of rookies enter the paddock in Mick Schumacher, Nikita Mazepin and Yuki Tsunoda.
Only Japanese AlphaTauri starlet Tsunoda has scored a point of the trio.
And they will be put through the ultimate test this weekend with the Monaco Grand Prix.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
