As the reigning quadruple world champion, it is no surprise to see at the very top of the F1 pay charts.

The Dutchman has enjoyed incredible success since 2021, been loyal to throughout, and established himself as one of the most marketable drivers in the sport. That combination was always going to leave him in a handy position financially, but the discrepancy between his annual salary and that of the drivers fighting it out towards the bottom of the grid is still striking.

According to figures reported by , Verstappen will have taken home £52million by the end of the year, excluding bonuses and sources of income external to his Red Bull duties.

The only driver that comes to close to that total is seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has landed a reported £48m-a-year contract at Ferrari.

Hamilton's Scuderia team-mate, Charles Leclerc, banks roughly half as much as Verstappen with an annual salary of £27m.

From there downwards, the drop-off is steep. Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris are fourth and fifth on the list at £16m apiece, with Mercedes lead driver George Russell sixth on £12m.

Incredibly, combining each of the remaining 14 drivers on the grid's salaries churns out a smaller figure than the annual sum paid to Verstappen. That includes seasoned professionals like Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, and Alex Albon, as well as the sport's top young prospects like Oscar Piastri and Kimi Antonelli.

The contrast is even more amazing when comparing Verstappen's wage with that of his Red Bull team-mate, Liam Lawson.

New Zealander Lawson will not exactly be struggling on a reported £800,000 a year, but that figure means Red Bull could hire him 64 times over and he would still be cheaper than the Dutchman.

Verstappen is set for life at 27 years old and the financial rewards will keep on coming. With a contract until the end of 2028, there are four more £52m cheques on the horizon.

Whether he can reward Red Bull's financial backing with a fifth Drivers' Championship remains to be seen. Verstappen is among the title favourites going into the new season but Lando Norris is also heavily fancied, and McLaren finished last campaign as the team to beat.

Drivers will be back on track in a matter of days, with an official pre-season test taking place in Bahrain at the end of the month. The first points will be on offer at the Australian Grand Prix on March 16.

Drivers will be back on track in a matter of days, with an official pre-season test taking place in Bahrain at the end of the month. The first points will be on offer at the Australian Grand Prix on March 16.