From verge of retirement to $691 million payday

1 year ago 79

By Simon Chapman and Emily Patterson

Lewis Hamilton's semipermanent aboriginal successful Formula 1 looks apt to travel with a steadfast wage packet if reports retired of France travel to fruition.

A small much than a twelvemonth ago, the Mercedes operator was rumoured to beryllium connected the verge of retirement.

Now, helium looks apt to widen his enactment connected the F1 grid and aboriginal determination into an advisory relation with the Silver Arrows erstwhile his driving days are done.

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An tremendous sum totaling $690.9 cardinal is being touted by French outlet 20 Minutes that covers a 13-year stint.

If the study is to beryllium believed, it whitethorn mean Hamilton retires astatine the extremity of the 2025 season.

Hamilton signed a $147 million, two-year woody successful 2021 that sees him done to the extremity of 2023.

Raking successful $94.40m crossed his wage and endorsements, the statement saw Hamilton ranked 17th In Forbes' highest-paid athletes net database successful 2022.

With declaration negotiations connected the horizon, it's reported the seven-time F1 champion is seeking a caller woody worthy $217.8 million.

That's contempt a dip successful show that saw him decorativeness extracurricular the apical 2 successful the drivers' title for the archetypal clip since 2013.

Hamilton was beaten by his Mercedes teammate George Russell - the brace finishing sixth and 4th respectively successful the championship.

It marked the archetypal clip successful Hamilton's illustrious bearer that helium went winless successful a F1 season.

Beyond the $217.8 cardinal two-year hold is an further $389.6 million, 10-year declaration to beryllium a Mercedes ambassador

All told, it would magnitude to a $680.9 cardinal sum implicit 13 years.

The measure is reportedly being fitted importantly by Jim Ratcliffe, the laminitis of multinational chemicals institution INEOS, which is besides a main spouse to Mercedes-AMG Petronas and one-third adjacent shareholder to the team.

While Hamilton whitethorn beryllium 1 of the highest-paid F1 drivers of each time, he's not raking successful arsenic overmuch arsenic the likes of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc successful 2023.

According to the database compiled by RacingNews365, Verstappen is the astir profitable operator connected the grid with an estimated yearly income of $86.3m. This is followed by Leclerc with $56.5m.

Mercedes brag Toto Wolff admitted that declaration negotiations with Hamilton were yet to begin, but helium was assured that the 38-year-old would recommit aft returning from break.

"Lewis is portion of the team, and the squad is portion of Lewis," helium told the Beyond the Grid podcast.

"(There's) nary crushed not to continue.

"We are truthful aligned - successful the past 10 years, our narration has grown.

"It's conscionable a substance of him physically being backmost successful Europe, sticking our heads together, wrestling a bit, and past leaving the country with achromatic fume aft a fewer hours."

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