Hamilton hit with fresh blow as Verstappen secures major win

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has suffered a fresh blow in his long-running rivalry with Max Verstappen.

The pair both rounded off their respective 2024 campaigns in Abu Dhabi last weekend, with Hamilton getting the better of his Red Bull counterpart on his final appearance for Mercedes.

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The Brit will line up alongside Charles Leclerc at Ferrari next season, where he hopes to mount a serious title challenge to the Dutchman, who recently clinched his fourth successive drivers' championship with Red Bull.

Verstappen tops F1 rich list

And while Verstappen continues to dominate on the track, he is moving clear of his main rivals off it too, after once again coming out on top of this year's list of the sport's highest-paid drivers.

According to Forbes, the 27-year-old earned an estimated £59million, boosted by a significant performance bonus, thus extending his advantage over Hamilton to around £14m.

The 105-time race winner did manage to hold on to second spot in the rankings, raking in over £43m in salary and £2m in bonuses.

2024 drivers' championship runner-up Lando Norris rounded off the top three, moving up from sixth after signing a lucrative contract extension with McLaren back in January.

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Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso was fourth, ahead of Leclerc, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri.

Sergio Perez - who is rumoured to be losing his seat at Red Bull in 2025 - came eighth in the standings, with Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly completing the top 10.

The report stated: "Combined, Formula 1’s top 10 earners raked in £249m on the track in 2024, according to Forbes estimates, a 23% increase over 2023’s £202m and the best mark in the four-year history of Forbes’ F1 earnings ranking."

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