F1 drivers' salaries revealed: Lewis Hamilton's salary raises eyebrows!

Almost a year ago to the day, we revealed a piece of information that caused quite a stir: Lewis Hamilton to earn $60 million fixed salary for Ferrari's 2025 seasonexcluding bonuses.
At the time, the question was simple: would Lewis Hamilton become the driver of F1 or was it an exaggerated rumour? Twelve months later, the verdict is in. And it largely confirms what we were writing at the time.

A look back at a historic transfer... and a salary that's already off the charts

When Lewis Hamilton announced his departure from Mercedes to join the Scuderia Ferrari from 2025, the F1 world is in shock. The seven-time world champion changed teams at the age of 40, in what looked like a final career challenge. The figures were soon circulating: $60 million a year, excluding bonuses. A staggering sum, but at the time an estimate rather than an official figure. As a reminder, in 2024, Max Verstappen already dominated the salary rankings with a salary of around $60 million, plus generous bonuses. Hamilton, meanwhile, earned around $55 million at Mercedes, including bonuses. Was Ferrari really about to make history?

Forbes tranche: 2025 salaries now known

In December 2025, Forbes published its official ranking of F1 drivers' salaries for the 2025 season, including bonuses. And this time, there's no room for doubt. Lewis Hamilton earns a fixed salary of $70 million at Ferrari, plus a further $0.5 million in bonuses. A colossal figure, which puts him well ahead of Max Verstappen (65 million fixed salary). So yes, Lewis Hamilton has become the highest-paid driver on the grid in terms of fixed salary in 2025.

A paradox when you look at the sporting rankings

This is where things get really surprising. Looking at the final standings for the 2025 World Championship, the contrast is stark. Lewis Hamilton finishes only 6th, with 156 points. Zero wins for the season. Far behind Lando Norris (champion), Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.

Meanwhile :

• World champion Lando Norris pockets $57.5 million, including a huge bonus component
• Oscar Piastri, third in the championship, earns 37.5 million, again largely boosted by the performance bonus.
• Even George Russell, 4th in the league, earns 26 million, thanks to a much better salary/bonus balance.

Hamilton, on the other hand, earns more than anyone else... without the sporting results to match.

Driver	Points in 2025	Salary + 2025 Bonus (in M$)
Lando Norris	423	57,5
Max Verstappen	421	76
Oscar Piastri	410	37,5
George Russell	319	26
Charles Leclerc	242	30
Lewis Hamilton	156	70,5
Andrea Kimi Antonelli	150	12,5
A. Albon	73	-
Carlos Sainz	64	13
Fernando Alonso	56	26,5
I. Hadjar	51	-
N. Hülkenberg	51	-
O. Bearman	41	-
L. Lawson	38	-
E. Ocon	38	-
L. Stroll	33	13,5
Y. Tsunoda	33	-
P. Gasly	22	-
G. Bortoleto	19	-
F. Colapinto	0	-
J. Doohan	0	-

Ferrari paid for the icon, not the performance

Did Ferrari pay Lewis Hamilton for his track record... or for everything else? The answer seems obvious. Hamilton is a global image, incomparable media exposure, colossal marketing leverage, a driving force for merchandising, sponsors and VIP operations. In strictly sporting terms, the 2025 season failed to live up to expectations. But in economic and image terms, Ferrari knew exactly what it was doing.

Towards a change of model as early as 2026?

Faced with a 2025 ranking dominated by drivers whose remuneration is heavily dependent on bonuses, the question naturally arises: will Ferrari maintain such a high fixed salary in 2026? They've spent over 100 million $ on drivers for 2025, with a 4th place finish in the constructors' rankings as a result.

The Norris / Piastri model shows that a system strongly indexed to performance can be more coherent from a sporting point of view... and financially. Conversely, Hamilton's contract is more akin to a star contract, in the manner of the great soccer icons. It would therefore come as no surprise if, as early as 2026, Ferrari, like other teams, were to rebalance their contracts.