Hamilton beaten by Verstappen in KEY ranking

Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton has been passed by rival Max Verstappen, this time off the track rather than on it.

The seven-time champion did beat his 2021 title rival in his last race for Mercedes last weekend, but the Dutchman has been comfortably on top of the interpersonal battle in the last few seasons.

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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.

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 £43 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.

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

Sergio Perez - who is set to lose 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 £249 m 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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