We are well into the Formula 1 World Championship 2021 and so far, it has been so good.

The change of regulations has made the playing field somewhat level and it’s no surprise that Max Verstappen’s Red Bull have emerged as genuine contenders for the championship. 

However, there’s a long way to go before Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes feel threatened. They might be behind Red Bull at the moment but with them, it’s always a matter of time before they shift gears and climb up the ladder.

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There has been a lot of talk about what Mercedes should do and what they shouldn’t going into a new era next season, but they’ve already made their statement by handing Hamilton a new two-year contract. And it’s quite a contract if you look at the money involved.

Remember that point about a level-playing field? Well, in terms of the riches involved, the F1’s best have a clear gulf of finances separating them from the rest.

Now that we speak of it, let’s have a look at the driver salaries, shall we? Per The Mirror, these are the base salaries of every single driver in the Formula 1 field at the moment:

Formula 1 Driver Salaries 

20. Yuki Tsunoda, Alpha Tauri: £364,900 
19. Nicholas Latifi, Williams: £730,800 
18. Nikita Mazepin, Haas: £730,800 
17. Mick Schumacher, Haas: £730,800 

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16. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo: £730,800
15. George Russell, Williams: £730,800
14. Esteban Ocon, Alpine: £3.6 million
13. Pierre Gasly, Alpha Tauri: £3.6 million

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12. Sergio Perez, Red Bull: £5.8 million
11. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin: £7.3 million
10. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari: £7.3 million
9. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo: £7.3 million
8. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes: £7.3 million

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7.Lando Norris, McLaren: £7.9 million
6. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari: £8.76 million
5. Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren: £10.9 million
4. Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin: £10.9 million
3. Fernando Alonso, Alpine: £14.6 million
2. Max Verstappen, Red Bull: £18.27 million

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes: £40 million

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We started at a scanty £364,000 pocketed by Yuki Tsunoda at 20th and look where we have ended with Lewis Hamilton at an astounding £40 million a year, according to a report in The Sun.

However, keep in mind that the £40 million figure is his complete package as his base salary is yet to be revealed.

Even still, by his standards, that’s an insane amount of money for various reasons. 

Look at the others in the top 5: Verstappen earns £18.27 million, Alonso earns £14.6 million, while Vettel and Ricciardo both earn £10.9 million.

None of them is anyway near the Brit. Perhaps, it’s a reflection of the gulf of class that separates them, too.