Lewis Hamilton net worth: Where does he rank against football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

Formula 1 racing commands high salaries for its participants, many of which are multi-millionaires from the sport, but how do the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen compare to high earners in football?

Certainly, there are many footballers who are incredibly wealthy, with many headlines having been written about their wages over the years – but Formula 1 drivers are also some of the highest earners in the world of sport.

Below, PlanetF1.com looks at the highest net worth of five F1 drivers versus five footballers, to identify some of the wealthiest sportspeople on the planet!

10: Daniel Ricciardo: estimated net worth £41.6m

Having failed to secure a deal for the 2023 season with any of the current driving teams, Daniel Ricciardo’s net worth remains high.

Earning a salary of $15m while driving for McLaren in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Ricciardo walked away from the team with a severance pay of a reported $22.2m.

He has also signed a contract for the 2023 season to be a third driver for Red Bull Racing, estimated to bring in a further $2m, providing the driver with the biggest payday of his career, despite spending a year away from the track!

Ricciardo also had several lucrative sponsorship deals with some of the world’s biggest brands to include Go Pro, Blue Coast, Puma, helping maintain his current fortune.

9: Sergio Perez: estimated net worth £62.4m

Sergio Perez’s career has come on leaps and bounds since his early days as a member of the renowned Ferrari Driver School. Originally joining Sauber in 2011, Perez went on to drive for McLaren and ‘Team Silverstone’ in its various guises as Force India and Racing Point, with plenty of sponsorship money behind him from his native Mexico.

Perez currently drives for Red Bull Racing alongside double world champion Max Verstappen. Perez has three known sponsors, Telmex and Telcel, and Claro, all of which are huge Mexican telecommunications companies.

8: Max Verstappen: estimated net worth £72m

After winning his first title at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen has taken Formula 1 by storm and is currently the highest paid Formula 1 driver on the grid, estimated to pocket a cool $55m this season driving for his current team, Red Bull Racing.

Verstappen’s future looks bright having signed a spectacular contract with Red Bull in early 2022 which keeps him with the team until 2028.

At the age of just 25, and with a current net worth of around £72m, he has many successful years ahead as a Formula 1 driver.

7: Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior: estimated net worth circa £160m

Neymar is a Brazilian footballer and widely considered one of the best players in the world. Neymar currently plays as a striker for Paris Saint-Germain on a salary of £48m, as well as the Brazilian national football team.

Born in São Paulo, Neymar started playing football from a very young age and his hard work and dedication paid off when he escalated to one of Brazil’s top football players playing for clubs Santos, Barcelona and PSG during his career.

Named as one of the world’s most branded footballers, Neymar currently has sponsorship deals with brands including Nike, DAZN, Epic Games, Meta, Qatar Airways and Red Bull.

6: Fernando Alonso: estimated net worth £216m

The oldest driver currently on the 2023 F1 circuit, at the age of 41 Alonso is currently driving for Aston Martin and has shown no signs of hanging up his helmet just yet!

Alonso inherited his love for cars and racing from his father, and it was this passion that led him to become one of the best drivers in the history of motorsport.

Alonso has steadily acquired his fortune racing for Minardi, Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine and now Aston Martin for no fewer than 18 Formula 1 seasons, having commanded high salaries for his reputation.

5: Lewis Hamilton: estimated net worth £270.9m

Lewis Hamilton remains in first place among F1 drivers in 2023 with a huge net worth of £270.9 million. Widely recognised for his humble beginnings in motorsport, Hamilton’s story has inspired many future F1 drivers, having proven you can reach the top with hard work, determination, and self-belief.

Hamilton’s father Anthony reportedly invested family money into building his career and the gamble certainly paid off.

Hamilton makes his money racing for Mercedes-Benz, and from off-track earnings working with big name brands to include Tommy Hilfiger, Sony, Bose, Puma, IWC and Monster Energy.

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4: David Beckham: estimated net worth: £371m

Despite having now long retired, English legend, David Beckham, remains in the top five richest footballers with the highest net worth in 2023.

Beckham continues to be one of the most recognisable faces across the world despite hanging up his boots in May 2013 at the end of his final match in Ligue 1 for Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite ending his playing career, Beckham has very much remained in the public eye as brand ambassador for H&M, Adidas, Diageo and L’Oreal.

He also made significant investments through his company DB Ventures Limited and reportedly received a £200m payout last year when he agreed to sell off 55% to Authentic Brands Group.

3: Cristiano Ronaldo: estimated net worth circa £400-500m

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese professional footballer who made headlines in January 2023 when he joined the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr FC on a £175m two-year contract to play as a striker for the team, after leaving Manchester United. He also continues to captain the Portuguese national team.

Thanks to many sponsorship deals with Nike, Herbalife, KFC, Samsung and many others over the years, Ronaldo remains one of the top five richest footballers in 2023.

The star striker also has his own luxury clothing and accessories range known as CR7 and makes additional money through his hotel chain, CR7 Pestana.

2: Lionel Messi: estimated net worth £511m

Lionel Messi is one of the most well-known footballers in the world and one of the richest. Previously playing as a forward for Spanish club, Barcelona and as captain for the Argentina national team, having won everything else in the sport, Messi finally ticked off the biggest box left in his career and led the team to victory to win the FIFA World Cup in December 2022.

He left French side Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the 2022-23 season, and is set to sign with MLS franchise Inter Miami, with Beckham co-owns.

Over the years, Messi has built up his net worth by signing huge sponsorship deals with key brands such as Mastercard, Budweiser and most famously, Adidas. He is also the face of Saudi Arabia Tourist Board and has his own clothing line, Messi Store. and hotel chain, MiM.

1: Faiq Bolkiah: estimated net worth £16.5bn

The richest footballer in the world in 2023 is lesser known than his rivals. Bolkiah is a midfielder who has played for Portuguese side Maritimo and was under contract with Chonburi in Thailand until announcing his departure in May 2023.

He has also won six caps for the Brunei national team between 2016 and 2018. His wealth comes from being the son of the Prince of Brunei, Jefri Bolkiah, and nephew to the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, head of one of the wealthiest royal families in the world.

Bolkiah has not yet fulfilled a dream to play in the Premier League despite spending time in the academies of Southampton, Chelsea and Leicester during his earlier career.