Four F1 stars in Forbes' top 100 highest paid athletes

Four Formula One drivers feature in Forbes’ annual top 100 of the world’s highest paid athletes, with Lewis Hamilton ranking 11th with total earnings of $46 million.

Fellow world champions Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, as well as Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg also appear in a list topped by Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo who made $88m in the past year.

According to Forbes, $42m of Hamilton’s income came in salary and winnings, with another $4m in endorsements. NBC’s Motor Sports Talk reports that the Briton recently struck a deal with French cosmetics giant L’Oreal

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel places 19th on the top 100, with $40m in salary and another €1m in endorsements, which includes a deal with Braun.

McLaren-Honda’s Fernando Alonso sits 24th on the list, having earned €36.5m (€35m in salary and 1.5$m in endorsements), while championship leader Rosberg narrowly makes the cut in 98th position with total earnings of $21m ($20m in wage another $1m in endorsements).

Fellow racing aces included in the top 100 are NASCAR stars Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 71st ($23.5m) and Jimmie Johnson in 82nd ($22.2m).

It is worth noticing that F1 drivers are amongst the athletes that earn the least from endorsements. By comparison, NBA star LeBron James, who is third in the list, gets $54m of his $77.2m tally in endorsements alone.

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