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Lewis Hamilton tops Britain's richest athletes list

Lewis Hamilton has become the richest British sports star in the history of the Sunday Times Rich List, the Mercedes driver boosting his fortune to an estimated £224 million at the end of last year.

Hamilton, who conquered his sixth world title in 2019, saw his total wealth grow by £37 million, a gain that pushed the 35-year-old past the £200 million threshold hit by Britain's previous richest athlete in 2013, footballer David Beckham.

However, Hamilton might be hard pressed to rake in another £37 million this year given the current status of Formula 1.

With the sport at a standstill amid the coronavirus crisis, F1 teams are set to suffer a massive drop in revenue, with the shortfall forcing drivers - including the sport's top earners - to take a significant pay cut.

Furthermore, Hamilton has yet to commit to Mercedes for 2021 and beyond, but F1's economic downturn is unlikely to enable the 84-time Grand Prix winner to negotiate a lucrative mega deal.

Among Britain's sportsmen, Rory McIlroy is the only other professional athlete who made the main Rich List cut, thanks to a fortune that rose by £32 million to £170 million overall.

Wales footballer Gareth Bale topped the under 30-year-old Young Rich List with a net worth of £114 million thanks mainly to a high-income contract with Real Madrid.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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Michael Delaney

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