Pedro Oliveira
In the most famous motorsport of the world, big money is no secret, and much less so for the protagonists of the track. With the market becoming more and more open, bigger, and with much more exposure as the years go by, drivers salaries and team profits grow exponentially along with the entire economics of the discipline.
For this reason, in this list we decided to decorate a ranking with the top 5 highest paid Formula 1 drivers of all time since its inauguration in 1950 until today, and we briefly review who they were and still are today.
5. Alain Prost
With one of the best legacies in the history of motor racing, the stalwart of Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet, and Nigel Mansell was the one who would take the lead financially during the end of his era.
Prost won 4 Formula 1 world championships (1985, 1986, 1989, and 1993; 3 with McLaren, and one with Williams), 51 Grand Prix awards (an all-time record that was later surpassed in 2001), 106 podiums, and a lifetime points score of 768.5 (798.5 with the current scoring system). The Frenchman has been the only one of his nationality to be the absolute champion of the tournament, and was runner-up on 4 other occasions.
He would end up with earnings of around $185,000,000 million dollars, with several jobs within the industry after his retirement in after the 1993 season.
4. Kimi Räikkönen
After retiring in 2021, the veteran of 19 seasons of experience defined the fourth place in this ranking of the highest paid drivers in Formula 1, after a world championship in 2007, 21 Grand Prix victories, 103 podiums, and the record for most starts in the history of the discipline, with 349 in total.
The Finn is undoubtedly the best in his nation in motorsports, and also one of the highest paid in any discipline, with a combined wealth of approximately $200,000,000 and $240,000,000 million dollars.
3. Fernando Alonso
Another veteran with a long career on the track, the Spaniard will be officially in his 20th season, with 2 world championships (2005 and 2006), 32 Grand Prix awards, and 98 podiums, he was one of the most influential drivers in the 2000s and in the globalization of the sport.
Alonso is also one of the most recognized names in the motorsport market, and his lifetime earnings place him in third place among the highest paid drivers, with an estimated $250,000,000 million dollars and counting, because even at 40 years of age, he still has not thrown the towel. He thus ranks as the third on our list of thehighest paid Formula 1 drivers of all time.
2. Lewis Hamilton
With his name already engraved among the best drivers in history, the Englishman’s legacy is not yet defined, as at 37 years of age he will continue to compete in the upcoming 2022 season.
Hamilton has undoubtedly been the most dominant driver since 2010, with 7 World Championships in total (6 of them in that period, and tied for the most in history), 103 Grand Prix victories, 182 podiums, and 103 pole positions (3 of which are all-time records) during his 288 starts.
Hamilton has been one of the most influential and legendary sportsmen in the world and has built a huge audience for Formula 1, which also makes him one of the highest paid athletes on the planet. He has a fortune close to $300,000,000 million dollars, which continues to increase thanks to his popular profile among brands, popularity in social networks, and one of the best salaries in any discipline.
1. Michael Schumacher
Still considered the best driver in the history of Formula 1, the German is undoubtedly the biggest and most iconic name to have succeeded in the sport, making him one of the most influential sportsmen in history, and one of the most successful in sport and economically.
He has 7 World Championships (5 of them in a row), 91 Grand Prix awards,155 podiums in 308 starts decorate one of the best careers in motorsports, and he still has the highest earnings that any driver has been able to generate in the history of the sport: around $780,000,000 and $800,000,000 million dollars, thanks to his corporate agreements, image rights, sponsorships, and prestige, which place him among the highest paid athletes in history, together with Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi.
