Move over, Tiger Woods, Christiano Ronaldo and all you pretenders, we have a new contender for the throne. Sebastian Vettel is now poised to become the world’s highest paid sportsperson, thanks to his new contract with Ferrari that’s reportedly worth 150 million pounds sterling for three years. Or, $80 million dollars per year, if you will. And, reportedly, because, Formula One teams tend not to report the extact terms and conditions od their drivers’ contracts if they can help it.
The rarified world of F1 is due for a shakeup next season, with the two multiple World Champions on the grid playing a game of musical chairs. With Alonso moving to Ferrari, Fernando Alonso is also rumoured to be moving to McLaren again despite the differences the two had during their only year together in 2007. While both Alonso and McLaren deny that any deal has been inked, the McLaren cockpit is a coveted place for the next season, as it will be getting a new Honda engine next year.
Vettel had dominated the sport in recent years, winning 39 races and four consecutive championships, although he has struggled through a win-less season as he adjusts to this year’s new spec cars. In joining Ferrari, Vettel is following in the footsteps of his hero and countryman Michael Schumacher, who won five titles for Ferrari.
According to Forbes, boxer Floyd Mayweather is the world’s highest paid athlete currently with earnings of $100 million. But that figure is linked to his per-fight payday whereas Vettel’s deal is similar to that of players in team sports like baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. His figure also does not include sponsorship and endorsement deals, although contracts for F1 drivers tend to be structured in such a way that they have relatively little opportunity for outside endorsements. Vettel has a large endorsement deal with Infiniti this year, which sponsors both the Red Bull team and him personally. His departure from Red Bull means that he’d have to sever ties with Infiniti as well next year.
Source: The Daily Mail