Despite finishing third in the 2023 Drivers’ Championship, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s season was anything but remarkable.
Out of the ten highest paid Formula One drivers, Lewis Hamilton was the only one, it seems, who did not receive a bonus for his 2023 performance. Even so, the Mercedes driver was the second-highest paid driver on the grid; only current world champion Max Verstappen earned more money after a record-breaking season.
In Texas, Hamilton nearly broke his two-year winning streak when he crossed the finish line in P2, but a technical infraction resulted in his disqualification. This meant that Mercedes did not win a race in 2023, even though they edged out Ferrari to P2 in the Constructors’ Championship.
A Forbes report claims that Hamilton’s 2023 compensation was approximately £43.4 million ($55 million). Nine other drivers, including Pierre Gasly, received multi-million-pound payouts from Mercedes after an unimpressive campaign for the Silver Arrows, but the seven-time world champion did not receive a bonus.
Verstappen, on the other hand, received a lesser base salary of £35.5 million ($45 million), but Red Bull added a £19.7 million ($25 million) bonus to his pay in recognition of his extraordinary performance.
The 26-year-old destroyed teammate Sergio Perez and the rest of the field en route to his third consecutive Drivers’ Championship title, enjoying arguably the most spectacular individual season in Formula One history. He won 19 Grands Prix, including 17 of the final 18.
According to Forbes, Perez was the only other driver to receive an eight-figure bonus. He earned £12.6 million ($16 million) in addition to his base pay of £7.9 million ($10 million) for leading Red Bull to its first-ever one-two Drivers’ Championship finish in its illustrious history.
Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris, who placed fourth and sixth in the standings, respectively, each received bonuses of about £7.9 million ($10 million). As Aston Martin and McLaren fought for P4 in the Constructors’ Championship, both drivers assumed prominent roles for their respective teams.
Oscar Piastri, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc all received bonuses of £3.9 million ($5 million) for their accomplishments in the previous season, while Carlos Sainz received a payout of £4.7 million ($6 million) for winning Ferrari’s lone Grand Prix. Along with his £3.9 million salary, Alpine star Pierre Gasly earned a £2.4 million ($3 million) bonus for finishing in the top ten.
who is the biggest drawcard to F1 non other than Sir Lewis yet he is treated in this way i say it is down to pure jealousy mat Sir Lewis have the last laugh on these white bigots that are against him due to his color i tell you all he is by far the best human on the F1 grid no one is within cooee of him thanks to his wonderful upbringing