06/05/2017
NEWS STORY
Though increasingly under pressure for the 2017 title from Sebastian Vettel and now Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton remains the UK's richest sportsman.
Over the last twelve months, despite losing out in the 2016 title race to another Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg, Hamilton's wealth has increased by £25m to £131m.
Courtesy of his numerous sponsorship deals, not to mention his Mercedes pay packet, the Briton ranks ahead of Manchester United players Zlatan Ibrahimovic (£110m) and Wayne Rooney (£93m) in the latest Sunday Times Rich List.
Jenson Button, who comes out of retirement to replace Fernando Alonso in Monaco later this month, is fourth on £93m.
Should Hamilton win a fourth title this year, the resultant bonus from Mercedes will no doubt ensure he retains pole position, while highly lucrative personal contracts with the likes of IWC (watches), L'Oréal (because he's worth it) and Bombardier all ensure he will never go short.
Though the Briton followed the example of many of his colleagues and moved to Monaco, he insists he still pays tax in the UK.
"What people don't realise is that I pay tax here, but I don't earn all my money here," he told the Sunday Times. "I race in 19 different countries, so I earn my money in 20 different places and I pay tax in several different places, and I pay a lot here as well.
"I am contributing to the country and, not only that, I help keep a team of more than 1,000 people employed. I am part of a much bigger picture."