Lewis Hamilton leads three F1 rivals on highest-paid athletes list
Lewis Hamilton was F1's biggest earner in 2025, according to Sportico.
Lewis Hamilton has been named on Sportico’s 2025 list of the top 100 highest-paid athletes, along with two other F1 drivers.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton sits 11th and is the highest-ranking F1 driver, despite enduring a nightmare debut campaign with Ferrari.
According to Sportico, Hamilton’s total earnings combined saw him pocket $100million in 2025. This was made up of a reported $70m salary/winnings, and an additional $30m in endorsements.
Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen comes in at 15th, with a combined total of $83m, $75m of which comes from salary/winnings, with the other $8m from endorsements.
New F1 world champion Lando Norris is ranked 32nd. The 26-year-old Briton, who pipped Verstappen to claim his maiden world title in a nail-biting 2025 finale, is said to have earned $54m in salary/winnings and $5m in endorsements.
Norris’s McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri is 96th on the list with a combined total earnings of $38m after he finished third in the 2025 F1 world championship.
Sportico notes that the list is made up of “estimates for earning during the 2025 calendar year”, with “the salary and prize money are inclusive of all bonuses paid during that time, including signings, incentives, playoffs and All-Star game pay.”
Endorsements include “earnings from sponsorships, licensing, royalties, memorabilia, appearances, golf course design, media and book deals”.
Footballer Christiano Ronaldo tops the list for 2025, with a reported salary/winnings of $200m plus $60m in endorsements.
Sportico’s top-10 highest-paid athletes of 2025
- Christiano Ronaldo (football) - $260m
- Canelo Alvarez (boxing) - $137m
- Lionel Messi (football) - $130m
- Juan Soto (baseball) - $129.2m
- LeBron James (basketball) - $128.7m
- Karim Benzema (football) - $115m
- Stephen Curry (basketball) - $105.4m
- Shohei Ohtani (baseball) - $102.5m
- Kevin Durant (basketball) - $100.8m
- Jon Rahm (golf) - $100.7m
You can see Sportico’s full top-100 list here.
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