F1 driver salaries from a decade ago - who was paid the most in a bygone era?

F1 driver salaries have skyrocketed but, even a decade ago, the top names were pocketing top dollar for their efforts.
- Fernando Alonso (ESP) Scuderia Ferrari F138 and Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1
- Fernando Alonso (ESP) Scuderia Ferrari F138 and Lewis Hamilton (GBR)…

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were the top earners in the 2013 season - and will head into the F1 2023 season still on colossal salaries.

The reported salaries from 2013 provide an intriguing snapshot into how much has changed - and how much has stayed the same…

F1 drivers’ salaries from 2013

1. Fernando Alonso - Ferrari - €20m

= Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes- €20m

3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes - €16m

4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing - €12m

5. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - €11m

6. Mark Webber - Red Bull Racing - €10m

7. Felipe Massa - Ferrari - €6m

8. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus F1 Team - €3m

9. Sergio Perez - McLaren-Mercedes - €1.5m

10. Romain Grosjean - Lotus F1 Team - €1m

= Pastor Maldonado - Williams - €1m

= Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber - €1m

13. Valtteri Bottas - Williams - €600,000

14. Jules Bianchi - Marussia - €500,000

= Adrian Sutil - Force India F1 - €500,000

16. Paul di Resta - Force India F1 - €400,000

= Daniel Ricciardo - Scuderia Toro Rosso - €400,000

= Jean-Eric Vergne - Scuderia Toro Rosso - €400,000

19. Esteban Gutierrez - Sauber - €200,000

20. Charles Pic - Caterham - €150,000

= Giedo van der Garde - Caterham - €150,000

= Max Chilton - Marussia - €150,000

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How much F1 teams spent on their drivers in 2013

1. Mercedes - €31m

2. Ferrari - €26m

3. Red Bull Racing - €22m

4. McLaren-Mercedes - €17.5m

5. Lotus F1 team - €4m

6. Williams - €1.6m

7. Sauber - €1.2m

8. Force India - €900,000

9. Scuderia Toro Rosso - €800,000

10. Marussia - €650,000

11. Caterham - €300,000

- Free Practice 3, Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Scuderia Toro Rosso
- Free Practice 3, Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Scuderia Toro Rosso

Hamilton jumped to the joint-top earner in F1 after joining Mercedes, and penning his first deal with the team that he remains with to this day. He was earning equal money to Ferrari's Alonso, a two-time champion whose barren spell was getting longer and longer.

Jenson Button, the champion from four years earlier, was reaping the benefit of a contract with McLaren as the third-highest earner.

Perhaps the big surprise in this list of 2013 salaries is that the sport's dominant force, Red Bull's Vettel, is only the fourth-highest earner. He won his fourth consecutive championship this year.

Notably Kimi Raikkonen was several years removed from his colossal Ferrari contract.

There are five drivers from 2013 still competing - Alonso, Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Vettel retired after last year, and Daniel Ricciardo lost his seat.

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