Despite having been comfortably beaten in 2022 by reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton still earned more money than the Dutchman in the past 12 months, as revealed by Forbes.
According to Forbes, Hamilton made $65 million in the past 12 months, with $55 million having come from Formula 1 whilst the remaining $10 million came from commercial interests.
Verstappen staggeringly earned just $1 million less than the Mercedes driver; however, the two-time World Champion did earn more than the Briton in the sport over the past year.
The Red Bull driver earned $60 million from racing and $4 million from his sponsors, leaving him 22nd in Forbes’ richest sports person list.
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Whilst he was only 22nd on the overall list, Verstappen was the third richest athlete 25 and under, putting him on the rostrum somewhat.
Hamilton was only just ahead of Verstappen on the overall list, with the 103-time race winner having secured 21st on the richest sports person list.
Unsurprisingly, the duo were the only F1 drivers to feature on the prestigious list, which was topped by Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
The top three spots were all taken by footballers, with Ronaldo finishing first having earned $136 million, $6 million more than Lionel Messi who finished second.
Kylian Mbappe finished third on the overall list but topped the 25 and under one, having earned $120 million in the past 12 months.
Hamilton finished above Verstappen despite having not won a race in the last year, with Hamilton’s most recent victory having actually been at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Verstappen on the other hand has been imperious, with him having won 15 races from May 1 2022 to May 1 2023.
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In total, Verstappen has actually won 18 of the 27 completed races since the new aerodynamic regulations were introduced last season, whilst he also claimed the 2022 title thanks to accumulating a record-breaking number of points.
He already leads the 2023 Drivers’ Championship by 14 points following three wins from the opening five rounds of the season, with him once again being the hot favourite to claim the title.
Should he be victorious for a third consecutive season, then he would match the likes of Ayrton Senna and Niki Lauda as a three-time World Champion.