The 2022 F1 season has been an absolute Max Verstappen show. The Dutchman not only retained his F1 title from last year in Japan, but also smashed records coming into the new year. As Verstappen showed an incredible performance this year, Honda decided to present him with a gift to applaud his achievements.
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The Japanese automobile giants presented Verstappen with a stunning new Honda supercar on Honda Thanks Day. Honda NSX Type S is the name of the car and it will cost around $170,000 to grab one of them.
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Upon receiving the present from Red Bull’s long-time engine partner, the elated Dutchman shared, “That’s an incredible present. It’s an amazing car. So yeah, I’m very proud to receive it. Thank you very much.”
Max Verstappen picked up a total of 15 wins this season, which is the most by a driver in a single season. With this, he broke Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record for the most wins (13). Moreover, he completed the season with 454 points, the highest points collected by a driver so far in a season in the history of F1.
Max Verstappen surpassed Lewis Hamilton off the track
The 2022 F1 season hasn’t just been incredible for Max Verstappen on the track, but off track as well. The Dutchman replaced Lewis Hamilton as the highest-earning driver in F1. Verstappen topped the list, followed by Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, and Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton has been on the top of this list for a very long time. The seven-time world champion was on top, even in 2021. However, with a record 15 wins and mammoth 454 points, Verstappen managed to surpass the Mercedes driver.
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Formula One F1 – Japanese Grand Prix – Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan – October 9, 2022 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates winning the race REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
As per a Forbes report, Max Verstappen earned a whopping $60 million in 2022. While he earned $40 million from his Red Bull salary, the $20 million was his bonus for his scintillating performance this season.
Even though some reports suggested that Verstappen earned around $55 million from his contracts with the Austrian team this season. Either way, it was more than what Lewis Hamilton earned in 2022.
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The Mercedes F1 star earned around $55 million this year. All of it was from the salary he gets from the German team. While the brand endorsements aren’t counted here, Hamilton did not receive any bonus after he finished the season in P6 without any race wins.