Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have gone back and forth with their rivalry. Whether it’s winning championships or being the highest-paid driver. Until yesterday, it could be confirmed that Verstappen is the highest-paid driver in the sport.
The Dutchman in his blue Red Bull suit has given everything to rise to the top. With that being said, he was the driver with the biggest salary package. The Dutchman took home $55 million from his Red Bull contract per year.
However, with Lewis Hamilton’s recent contract, Verstappen can no longer said to be the highest-paid driver. The new contract for the Brit gets him two more years with his Mercedes team and a $60 million salary per year. Exceeding Max Verstappen’s salary with his dominant team by $5 million.
The contract was in the talks for the longest time with the team boss confessing there were only tiny details that were being negotiated. While fans were worried this delay could be Hamilton’s unspoken exit, the news of his stay at his Silver Arrows team came along.
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As of now, Max Verstappen was dominating not only the tracks but also the grid. However, it seems this is Hamilton’s first move from taking the Dutchman off the top. With 10 years into the sport, Hamilton has never lost his focus on the target. Even after losing the 2021 championship which many fans consider to still be his, the Brit has not given up. According to Hamilton he still has “unfinished business” and it is to bring back his 8th title.
Will the $60 million contract bring Lewis Hamilton his 8th title?
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen battled each other like animals till the end. It was a “tooth for a tooth, eye for an eye” battle where they pressured each other throughout the season. This was in 2021 when every Hamilton fan dropped to their seats in disbelief.
But with that championship already past everyone, Verstappen is now the new hero and villain for many. After 2021 and the new regulations of 2022, Mercedes lacked almost everything including a good car and an unscathed spirit.
On the contrary, Red Bull soared and collected 15 wins last season and all the race wins this season. This has left Mercedes to take away nothing. Thanks to their now, highest-paid star, who brought the team a few points to surpass Aston Martin. Nonetheless, Hamilton has only won a few podiums which still leaves him running third in the championship standings. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has continued his “long drives” ahead of everyone to grab his next win.
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This, however, leaves a bad situation for Hamilton to dissect. Although he has finally received a bigger salary package than before, it is difficult to say it could bring him a title win anytime soon. Will Lewis Hamilton finally defeat the unbeatable Max Verstappen or “Super Max”? There is a huge probability of it not happening.
Red Bull has been dominating so far and started working on their car far too early. With winning almost all races in 2023 so far, it is highly unlikely their performance will drop down drastically. And while Hamilton might have a chance to finally get his title in 2026 once the new regulations are implemented, he only has a contract until the end of 2025, which again leaves the Brit at a dead end with his 8th title.
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