Being the most dominant driver in Formula 1 currently has come with a very nice perk for reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, who was announced as the third highest paid athlete aged 25 and under.
It was revealed by Forbes that the Red Bull driver made $64 million from May 1 2022 to May 1 2023, with $60 million of his recent earnings having come from racing.
$4 million of his earnings from the past year consists of off-track income like sponsorship deals, whilst the rest is made up from his Red Bull salary, bonuses and prize money.
It’s certainly been a successful 12 months for the 25-year-old, who claimed his second consecutive Drivers’ Championship at the end of 2022.
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As well as that, he’s won 15 races within the mentioned dates, putting him comfortably clear of his competitors.
His earnings weren’t enough, though, to pip PSG footballer Kylian Mbappe or NFL star Kyler Murray.
After earning $70 million within the timeframe, Murray claimed second on Forbes’ list, whilst Mbappe claimed the number one spot by some margin.
The Frenchman earned around $120 million from May 1 2022 to May 1 2023, almost double what Verstappen earned in the same time period.
It’s likely not something which will particularly bother Verstappen, with $64 million certainly still being a staggering number.
He’s actually the highest-paid F1 driver as things stand; however, there are suggestions that seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton could eclipse his salary once he signs a contract extension with Mercedes.
Verstappen’s current contract with Red Bull isn’t set to expire until the end of 2028, meaning he’ll likely be earning over $60 million a year until his deal reaches its end.
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As things stand, 2023 is set to be another profitable year for Verstappen, with the two-time World Champion sitting at the top of the Drivers’ Championship once again.
He leads the standings by 14 points following the opening five races of the season, with him having finished no lower than second.
Verstappen has won three times and finished second twice to far this year, ahead of next weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.