Top earning drivers in 2014 Formula 1

Alonso is among the highest-paid drivers in F1, earning close to €22 million annually from his salary with Ferrari in a deal that runs through 2016. The Spaniard sits second in the current F1 standings behind Sebastian Vettel.

The Spanish Formula One racing driver, Kimi Raikkonen and German Sebastian Vettel top F1’s best earners list for the 2014 season.

According to the latest report, which uses figures from the Business Book GP2014, Ferrari team-mates Alonso and Raikkonen, as well as four-time World Champion Vettel, all receive €22m annually.

Alonso, two-time World Champion, has long been the best-paid driver in the sport, but Raikkonen’s return to the Scuderia has brought the Finn level. Meanwhile Vettel’s on-track success is now more closely mirrored in his earnings at the Red Bull squad.

However, Alonso may not be sharing top spot for long, with recent reports suggesting the Spaniard wants a new contract worth almost €40 million a year to keep him at Ferrari for the remainder of his F1 career.

Raikkonen and Alonso’s equal wage is in sharp contrast to their on-track performances: the Spanish driver currently holds an 88-point advantage over his team-mate in the World Championship and has finished ahead of him at every race this season.

British born Lewis Hamilton is fourth on the list, with earnings worth €20 million a year, Jenson Button is fifth with €16m. That means the five World Champions currently on the grid represent the best paid racing drivers in the sport.

The men most likely to be looking for a pay rise are Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas. The Finn has been one of the stars of the season for Williams, earning a hat-trick of podiums, but currently brings home just €1 million a year. Meanwhile Ricciardo has won two races and sits ahead of Vettel in the standings but earns just €750k – less than the likes of Adrian Sutil and Pastor Maldonado.

Below is the full 22-driver list for this season.

Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) €22m
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) €22m
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) €22m
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) €20m
Jenson Button (McLaren) €16m
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) €12m
Felipe Massa (Williams) €4m
Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) €4m
Romain Grosjean (Lotus) €3m
Pastor Maldonado (Lotus) €3m
Sergio Perez (Force India) €3m
Adrian Sutil (Sauber) €2m
Kevin Magnuseen (McLaren) €1m
Valtteri Bottas (Williams) €1m
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) €750k
Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) €750k
Jules Bianchi (Marussia) €500k
Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber) €400k
Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso) €250k
Max Chilton (Marussia) €200k
Marcus Ericsson (Caterham) €150k
Kamui Kobayshi (Caterham) €150k