The 2021 World Championship line-up is now sealed after the confirmation of Lewis Hamilton’s deal with Mercedes and, as every year, the British newspaper ‘The Sun’ has now published a ranking of the top ten 2021 F1 drivers’ salaries for this season. 

Unsurprisingly, and despite the financial concessions Hamilton had to make in his new contract with the German team, the seven-time world champion from Stevenage remains at the head of the list with a whopping 45.6 million euro pay-check. This amount, however, is a lot less than the 70 million that, according to several sources, he requested at the beginning of the negotiations. 

Behind the Briton is now Max Verstappen. The Dutch racing star has risen from fourth last season to second place. Red Bull has been able to keep him in his ranks thanks to a new 20.7 million euros per year deal. 

Closing the top three is the Pearl of Ferrari. As part of his five-year contract with the team from Maranello, Charles Leclerc is receiving 11.6 million euros for the 2021 campaign. 

Daniel Ricciardo comes in fourth place. Unlike some of his colleagues, the Australian has seen his income cut after signing for McLaren. The driver from Perth will “only” see his bank account balance raise by about 11.6 million as compared to the 18.5 million that he was getting from Renault.

Carlos Sainz‘ deal with Ferrari has signified not only a great professional opportunity for the Spaniard but also a considerable financial advancement. He has not only landed a job with the most successful team in history but is also getting handsomely rewarded as a result. Sainz will go from receiving 3.7 million in McLaren in 2020 to about 8.3 at the team of the Prancing Horse. 

Just outside the top 5 is Sebastian Vettel. The four-time German champion, whose seat in Ferrari now belongs to Sainz, is embarking on a new project at Aston Martin, formerly known as Racing Point. Lawrence Stroll, the father of his new partner Lance Stroll, will be paying the German nearly 8.3 million euros as well. 

Occupying position number seven of the 2021 salaries’ ranking is the also Spanish Fernando Alonso. Renault, the same team that he won his two world crowns with and which is now called Alpine F1, has offered him a seat for an inestimable 7.7 million per year. 

Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas, appears in eighth place with 6.4 million in what will be his fifth consecutive year with the German team. 

Meanwhile, Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez will see his earnings increase from the 3.3 million euros he was getting from Racing Point to the almost five that he will receive from Red Bull this year and which take him to the ninth place of the ranking. 

Finally, and despite racing for a financially ‘modest’ team, Kimi Raikkonen, at his 41 years of age, closes the top 10 with a 4.1 million per year wage in Alfa Romeo.

Images of 2021 F1 drivers’ salaries: Lewis Hamilton Instagram.