Max Verstappen is ensuring that Lewis Hamilton is set to miss out on a combined £30million in the final two years of his Mercedes contract by dominating in the Drivers’ Championship once again. The Brit is currently in negotiations over a new deal as his current one expires at the end of the season, with Silver Arrows chief Toto Wolff claiming that an agreement is close.
However, Hamilton may have expected to earn more out of his current deal but has not met the championship clause since signing on the dotted line in 2021. The Daily Mail have claimed that the 38-year-old is the second-highest paid driver on the grid – behind Verstappen – earning £27.5m a year.
Hamilton also received a bonus of £15m for each year that he wins the F1 world championship. However, as Verstappen won the 2022 title and is on course for a third title this season, the Mercedes man is staring at the possibility of missing out on a combined £30m over two years.
In 2021, Hamilton narrowly lost out to Verstappen in a controversial final race in Abu Dhabi where he was pipped to what would have been his eighth title but went toe-to-toe with the Red Bull car and would have expected to continue on the same trajectory by battling Verstappen over the next two years.
However, the Dutchman won the following championship at a canter and is set to do so once again as he is currently 125 points ahead of second-placed Sergio Perez at the summer break. Red Bull have won every single race so far this season and it would take a huge miracle for Hamilton to make up the points to claim his £15m in 2023.
It could be the last year that Hamilton has such a bonus on his contract, though the report states that he wants the clause to be made guaranteed income in his next deal. Wolff and Hamilton have both suggested the deal is nearly complete with just a few small details to be ironed out, though it is unclear whether it involves another championship bonus.