Hamilton takes a sly dig at current F1 status, calls it a "Billionaire Boys' Club"

Although Lewis Hamilton is the most decorated name in F1, he yet strangely referred to the status of the sport as "a billionaire boys club" ahead of this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix 2021. The British driver has won a record seven Driver's Championships (tied with Michael Schumacher), a record 98 F1 races and a record 100 pole positions. If Hamilton were indeed to win the F1 2021 world championship, he would stand alone as the most successful racer in the sport.

So why did Lewis Hamilton take this sly dig at F1?

Lewis Hamilton, who was raised on a Stevenage council estate, has claimed F1 is solely for the wealthy and that if he were to start all over again there was no way he would have made it this far. Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi and Nikita Mazepin are all sons of billionaires while Max Verstappen and Mick Schumacher are the sons of former F1 drivers. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz Jr too is a son of a former Rally driver.

In an interview with Spanish publication AS, Lewis Hamilton said, "We live in a time where this sport has become a billionaire boys’ club. If I were to start over from a working-class family, it would be impossible for me to be here today because the other boys would have a lot more money." Hamilton's father, Anthony, worked several jobs to fund his son's junior career before he was picked up by Mercedes, aged 13.

It is fair to say that Lewis Hamilton, having advocated for equality both in F1 and other realms of life, is far from impressed at the direction the sport is currently heading. At the end of last year, both Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen lost their Haas seats because Mazepin and Schumacher would have brought the team more money, which is crucial in a sport like F1. There is a huge disparity between the finances of the big teams and the smaller teams, and as a result, smaller teams such as Haas need to do all they can to receive more funding.

Lewis Hamilton net worth 2021: How much does the F1 driver earn with his new contract with Mercedes F1?

Considering Lewis Hamilton's successes in F1 it is no surprise that the Brit has accumulated a huge amount of wealth from the sport. After months of speculations, Hamilton and Mercedes finally signed a new deal in February 2021, which will see the 36-year old commit his future to Mercedes F1 for another year. Although Mercedes F1 officially did not reveal Lewis Hamilton's salary, reports from The Mirror claimed that the reigning world champion is set to earn £40 million for the year through his new contract. Hamilton's new deal is likely to see his salary increase by £5 million this year as he previously signed a two-year deal worth around £70 million with the Silver Arrows in December 2018.

According to various media reports, Lewis Hamilton's net worth in 2021 is approximately a staggering £260m. Most of Lewis Hamilton net worth 2021 can be attributed to his earnings from motorsport. The media reports further added that the Brit saw an increase of £36m in his net worth in 2020 alone.

Disclaimer: The above information is sourced from various websites/ media reports. The website does not guarantee a 100% accuracy of the figures.