Lewis speeds past McIlroy

Lewis Hamilton has cemented his place among the world’s highest-earning sportsmen after signing a new £40million-ayear deal with Mercedes.

Hamilton placed 10th on Forbes’ most recent sporting rich list in June 2017, where he was the top-ranked racing driver and trailed only golfer Rory McIlroy among home nations earners.

Forbes pegged Hamilton’s earnings from his sport at 38 million US dollars, or £29.5m, for the 12 months to last June.

That may feature performance-related bonuses for his 11 grand prix wins, six further podium finishes and second place in the 2016 drivers’ championship but, either way, the new £40 m wage would have moved him ahead of McIlroy and pushed the ‘big five’ of footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, basketball stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant and tennis great Roger Federer.