Sebastian Vettel is on track to become the highest-paid athlete in the world, as the four time defending world champion gears up to leave Red Bull for Ferrari in 2015.
According to reports, the value of Vettel’s new three-year contract would be around the 150 million pounds mark, which converts to just under $80 million dollars per year. Formula One teams tend to not report the terms of their driver’s contracts, but if this is true, the new contract will easily make Vettel one of the world’s highest paid athletes.
Floyd Mayweather currently holds the title with earnings of $100 million, but that figure is linked to the boxer’s per-fight payday. Vettel’s contract however is more similar to that of players in team sports like basketball and football.
The highest paid athlete last year was Cristiano Ronaldo with $52 million, followed by NFL star Matt Ryan with $42 million and the legendary Lionel Messi with $41.7 Million.
Vettel, who dominated the sport in recent years, has to date won 39 races and four consecutive championships. In joining Ferrari, the German driver will follow in the footsteps of his hero and countryman, Michael Schumacher, who notched five titles during his reign with Ferrari.
Other posts by Azlyn Balqis
