Lewis Hamilton has become the richest British sports star in history following a huge earning year last year. The Formula 1 star earnt £37 million in 2019, taking his total earnings up to £224 million and overtaking David Beckham as the richest active British sportsman of all time.
Hamilton is currently on a very lucrative deal with Mercedes and on top of that he has many sponsorship and endorsement deals to increase his wealth further. Not only is he now the richest British sportsman of all time, he could soon become the most decorated Formula 1 driver in the history of the sport.
What Championships Has Hamilton Won?
Hamilton has a very decorated career behind him, starting in his karting days and taking him to where he is today. He won at every level as he was progressing up the racing ladder, karting, UK Championships, Formula 3, GP2 and lastly, Formula 1.
At every stage of his career, he has been spoken about in high regard by his peers and even when championships were not won, he was competing well and winning individual races.
Lewis Hamilton Roll of Honour
- 2000 – European Karting Champion
- 2003 – Formula Renault UK Champion
- 2005 – Formula 3 Champion
- 2006 – GP2 Champion
- 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 – Formula 1 World Champion
Salary & Sponsorships
Hamilton signed his most lucrative F1 deal yet with Mercedes in 2018. His base salary on the new deal is $30 million per season, while bonuses could take that up to as much as $50 million. Those numbers equate to roughly £24 million as a base salary and £40 million as the maximum including bonuses. Hamilton has always been in the public eye, and huge deals like this one are only likely to push that further.
This would be huge without anything else, but then endorsement and sponsorship deals also add on top of that for the 35 year old. It is estimated that in 2019, Hamilton made a further $9 million in endorsements and sponsorships, which is over £7 million.
Can Hamilton Overtake Schumacher as the Greatest Ever?
Drivers from different eras are compared by what is in the history books and the main focus of that is titles. Michael Schumacher is currently the greatest and most decorated F1 driver of all time, with seven World Championships.
A win this season for Hamilton will tie them on seven wins each. The expectation amongst those around Hamilton is that he will race for at least one more year, although if he’s chasing down an eighth title, don’t be surprised to see him race until that is achieved.
Can Hamilton Win Again This Season?
Regardless of how the 2020 season will pan out, providing it does in some way then Hamilton will be expected to win another title. The British driver is strong favourite to win again, and there will be plenty of people heading to betting sites on the internet to place their bets on him to do so.
There are only four or five drivers in with a realistic chance of landing the title this season, but anyone other than Hamilton will be deemed a bit of a surprise.