Fast work, good money
Hamilton is tops in drivers’ earnings with $32 million OP-LEVEL motor racing continues to be a lucrative career for an elite group of drivers. This was confirmed by Forbes magazine, which released its annual list of the highest earning athletes.
TTopping the list of racing drivers is Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, with $32 million in earnings. He receives $29 million in salaries from the Mercedes-Benz team and $3 million in endorsements. Hamilton has been racing with top teams since his Formula One debut.
He has projected a superstar image, dating former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger. As a result, his net worth has been estimated from $88 million to $200 million. He has signed endorsement deals with Santander Bank, Tag Heuer, Reebok and, lately, IWC and Bombardier. He is the United Kingdom’s second-highest earning sportsman, after footballer Gareth Bale. Forbes predicts that the endorsement
FAST WORK/ B3-3
floodgates would burst open for the 29-year-old racer should he win a second title this year.
Running wheel-to-wheel with Hamilton is perennial rival and former teammate at McLaren, Fernando Alonso. Alonso is at the same salary level as Hamilton at $31 million—$29 million from Ferrari and $2 million from endorsements. Alonso’s contract at Ferrari runs until 2016 but, with him alone getting the most out of a nonwinning car, speculation is rife as to whether he will switch teams. Alonso is a two-time F1 world champion and has finished in second place in 2012 and 2013—despite cars that were notably down on performance versus his rivals’.
In the overall list, Hamilton is No. 19, just below tennis ace and Peugeot pitchman Novak Djokovic, who is No. 17. Alonso, meanwhile, is No. 21 (Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder is ranked in between, at No. 20).
Across the pond, Nascar ace Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets the last step on the podium, with $25.9 million in earnings, $11 million of which is from endorsements. The 39year-old racer finished fifth in the Nascar Sprint Cup last year, his best season since 2005. He has more than 500 career starts in the American racing series. He was voted by fans as the most popular driver for the 11th straight year. Endorsement deals include auction site eBay, and Earnhardt himself professes to be an eBay addict. The North Carolina resident is No. 28 overall on the athletes list.
Also racing in the Nascar series, Jimmie Johnson earned $23.5 million, $6.5 million of that from endorsements. Johnson won the Sprint Cup title in 2013, his sixth straight champi- onship. Nielsen has ranked him America’s most influential athlete in 2011 and 2012. That popularity has made him a pitchman for Chevrolet and Gatorade, and Dry Shine car care products. Johnson is the No. 42 top-earning athlete.
Erstwhile German wunderkind and now four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel ranks 83rd on the overall list, with $19 million earnings, $1 million of which is from endorsements. Vettel has dominated Formula One for the past four years, until the major change in car regulations this year. Vettel is tied with Michael Schumacher for the most number of wins in a season, with 13 in 2013. He is signed up to drive for Red Bull until the end of 2015. If he switches to Ferrari, Forbes predicts that he will overtake all others to be race leader in earnings.
Jeff Gordon is No. 86 on the list, with $18.7 million includ- ing $5 million in endorsements. Also hailing from North Carolina, Gordon has 89 career victories, the most in Nascar’s modern era. Sponsors include DuPont Performance Coatings, now renamed Axalta Coatings. He also has an ownership stake in Jimmie Johnson’s car and has a “lifetime” contract to drive for Hendrick Motorsports.
Danica Patrick and Jenson Button failed to qualify in the Top 100 list this year. The Forbes list was topped by boxer Floyd Mayweather, with $105 million in earnings. Cristiano Ronald ($80 million including $28 million in endorsements) and LeBron James ($72.3 million including $53 million in endorsements) came in second and third, respectively. Manny Pacquiao is No. 11 on the list, with $41.8 million in earnings.