The contrast is even more amazing when comparing Verstappen's wage with that of his Red Bull team-mate, Liam Lawson. New Zealander Lawson will not exactly be struggling on a reported £800,000 a year, but that figure means Red Bull could hire him 64 times over and he would still be cheaper than the Dutchman.

Max Verstappen has been the constant element in the driver lineup at Red Bull Racing since 2016. The Dutchman is down to his fifth teammate in the ten seasons he's been in F1, habing decimated the other last three.

Rumours that reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has an exit clause within his current contract have been confirmed by Red Bull chief Helmut Marko.