Hey, big spender! 10 best-earning Formula 1 drivers in 2022

For the first time since 2013, Lewis Hamilton has slipped from the top spot as Forbes revealed the 10 highest-paid Formula 1 drivers.

The 2022 season perhaps did not quite deliver the desired excitement levels following sweeping regulation changes, but Max Verstappen certainly delivered as he cruised to his second World Championship in as many years.

And Verstappen's heroics did not go unrewarded financially either, the Red Bull driver usurping his 2021 rival and seven-time World Champion Hamilton at the top of Forbes' list.

Forbes generates their driver earnings estimates without factoring in any income from personal endorsements, though even still, the top 10 in this list are sitting pretty, with Forbes citing a 25% increase in combined earnings compared to last year, with an estimated $264 million split up between them.

Estimates are generated in collaboration with data organisation Formula Money, based on legal filings, financial documents, press leaks and information from industry insiders. These are pre-tax estimates.

So, without further ado, it is time to meet F1's 10 best-earning drivers for 2022.

1. Max Verstappen

Earnings: $60m

Hamilton had been enjoying life as F1's highest earner since 2013, but with Verstappen setting a new standard on the track, he is doing the same financially.

Forbes state that on top of a basic salary of $40m, Verstappen raked in an additional $20m through bonuses in his record-breaking season.

2. Lewis Hamilton

Earnings: $55m

Forbes' information shows that Hamilton's base salary is significantly higher than Verstappen's at $55m, but the Mercedes driver has dropped from the top spot after a year without bonuses.

Mercedes could not build a title-contending challenger in the W13, with Hamilton