Lewis Hamilton's $80m fortune edges Max Verstappen as top-paid F1 driver in 2025
A lucrative new deal with Ferrari makes Lewis Hamilton the best-paid driver in F1.
Lewis Hamilton has beaten Max Verstappen to become the highest-paid driver in Formula 1 following his bumper deal with Ferrari, according to a new report by Forbes.
While seven-time champion Hamilton previously trailed Red Bull star Verstappen on Forbes’ annual list of top 50 best-paid athletes, he has now surpassed the Dutchman to become the top earner in F1 - and across all forms of motorsport.
Hamilton is estimated to earn $80 million this year, with a large chunk of that sum - $60 million - coming in form of salaries and bonuses from Ferrari.
The Briton’s income is supplemented by off-tracks endorsements, with deals with brands like Dior and Electronic Arts bringing in an additional $20 million.
This puts Hamilton 22nd on the list of the highest-paid athletes in 2025, tied with Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez.
Verstappen is no longer the richest driver in F1, with the four-time world champion dropping behind Hamilton to 24th on Forbes’ list.
The 27-year-old is expected to rake in $78 million this year, with the majority of his income ($72mn) derived from Red Bull.
Verstappen is earning $6 million through endorsements, including via commercial arrangements with Dutch beer maker Heineken and Red Bull’s 2026 engine partner Ford.
No other F1 driver features on the list, with Forbes stating that the threshold for inclusion has risen to $53.6 million this year.
That means the likes of Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris all failed to make the cut
Forbes' highest paid athletes of 2025
| RANK | NAME | SPORT | TOTAL EARNINGS | ON-FIELD EARNINGS | OFF-FIELD EARNINGS | |
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Soccer | $275 M | $225 M | $50 M | |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | $156 M | $56 M | $100 M | |
| 3 | Tyson Fury | Boxing | $146 M | $140 M | $6 M | |
| 4 | Dak Prescott | Football | $137 M | $127 M | $10 M | |
| 5 | Lionel Messi | Soccer | $135 M | $60 M | $75 M | |
| 6 | LeBron James | Basketball | $133.8 M | $48.8 M | $85 M | |
| 7 | Juan Soto | Baseball | $114 M | $109 M | $5 M | |
| 8 | Karim Benzema | Soccer | $104 M | $100 M | $4 M | |
| 9 | Shohei Ohtani | Baseball | $102.5 M | $2.5 M | $100 M | |
| 10 | Kevin Durant | Basketball | $101.4 M | $51.4 M | $50 M | |
| 11 | Oleksandr Usyk | Boxing | $101 M | $100 M | $1 M | |
| 12 | Jon Rahm | Golf | $100 M | $90 M | $10 M | |
| 13 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball | $94.4 M | $49.4 M | $45 M | |
| 14 | Scottie Scheffler | Golf | $92.5 M | $62.5 M | $30 M | |
| 15 | Deshaun Watson | Football | $91.8 M | $90.8 M | $1 M | |
| 16 | Kylian Mbappé | Soccer | $90 M | $70 M | $20 M | |
| 17 | Rory McIlroy | Golf | $87.9 M | $42.9 M | $45 M | |
| 18 | Patrick Mahomes | Football | $86.8 M | $58.8 M | $28 M | |
| 19 | Jordan Love | Football | $83 M | $79 M | $4 M | |
| 20 | Jared Goff | Football | $80.8 M | $75.8 M | $5 M | |
| 21 | Trevor Lawrence | Football | $80.5 M | $74.5 M | $6 M | |
| 22 | Canelo Alvarez | Boxing | $80 M | $70 M | $10 M | |
| 22 | Lewis Hamilton | Auto Racing | $80 M | $60 M | $20 M | |
| 24 | Max Verstappen | Auto Racing | $78 M | $72 M | $6 M |
