27 May 2022
Formula 1 viewership has increased by almost 50 per cent around the world. The sport has also become more popular than ever before, particularly in 10 key territories: Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, South Korea, Spain, the UK and the US.
The sports industry analytics company Nielsen Sports predicted one billion F1 fans for the 2022 season. Their forecast is based on its analysis of individuals interested in F1, aged between 16-69 in the championship’s key markets, and claims to have detected a noticeable increase in F1 interest, mainly from the 16-35-year-old demographic.
The business of F1 is prospering, and this boom provides numerous financial benefits to the drivers; whilst their direct salaries are not insignificant (refer to the article below), the salary is only one part of the remuneration package. The figures become mind-boggling when you include sponsorship deals, partnerships, investment and a whole raft of free stuff.
| Driver | Team | Car Number | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 44 | £32million |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1 | £20million |
| Fernando Alonso | Alpine | 14 | £16million |
| Lando Norris | McLaren | 4 | £16million |
| Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 5 | £12million |
| Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 3 | £12million |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 16 | £9.6million |
| Valttteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | 77 | £8million |
| Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 18 | £8million |
| Carlos Sainz Jr | Ferrari | 55 | £8million |
| Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Racing | 11 | £6.4million |
| Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 20 | £4.8million |
| Pierre Gasly | Alpha Tauri | 10 | £4million |
| Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 31 | £4million |
| George Russell | Mercedes | 63 | £4million |
| Alexander Albon | Williams | 23 | £1.6million |
| Nicholas Latifi | Williams | 6 | £0.8million |
| Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 24 | £0.8million |
| Mick Schumacher | Haas | 47 | £0.8million |
| Yuki Tsunoda | Alpha Tauri | 22 | £0.6million |