Fernando Alonso responded to George Russell by referencing Lewis Hamilton’s salary.
Fernando Alonso mocked George Russell about Lewis Hamilton’s exorbitant Mercedes contract on the second day of pre-season testing in Bahrain. Before leaving the Silver Arrows at the end of the current season to join Ferrari, Hamilton is getting ready for his farewell season.
To join Ferrari in 2025, Hamilton has chosen to exercise the break option he signed last summer to extend his contract with Mercedes to two years. He reportedly earns over £43 million a season from his current contract with the German team, which puts him among the highest-paid drivers in the history of the sport.
Alonso made fun of Russell’s pay cheque during a press conference on Wednesday, when talking about the different F1 team budgets.
Russell cut in, “Our budget is £135m, I don’t know if you knew that. We are more sophisticated in this sport, with £200m budgets per team a year and things like that,” before Alonso could finish his sentence. Alonso instantly responded, “Yeah, but you have a very expensive driver alongside you, so it’s more than £200m probably for Mercedes with your team-mate!”
When Hamilton formally joins Ferrari in 2025, he is expected to receive a substantial wage increase. Including his base pay, image rights, sponsorship deals, and bonuses, his multi-year contract with the Italian squad is estimated to be worth £78.8 million a season.
It is believed that the 39-year-old’s contract with Ferrari is for two years, with an option for a further year, keeping him on the team until 2025 and 2026. Hamilton is rumored to have received assurances from Ferrari president John Elkann that the team will back his humanitarian endeavors and activism while he is on their books.
“I feel incredibly fortunate, that after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, I now have the chance to fulfill another childhood dream,” Hamilton said when he previously revealed why he decided to join Ferrari. driving a red Ferrari.
“I vividly recall how it felt to step out into the unknown when I joined Mercedes for the first time in 2013.” I was right to move at the time, and I still feel that way now, even though I know some people didn’t understand it. I’m eager to see what I can contribute to this fresh chance and what our collaboration can accomplish.”