Lewis Hamilton has entered the top ten of Forbes' highest-earning athletes list for the first time in his career having ac⛎cumulated an annual pay packet of approximately $46 million.

The triple F1 world champion is currently in the midst of a three-ye❀ar contract with Mercedes, with the deal understood to be valued in the region of $38 million ($30m) per season, excluding endorsements.

Though this doesn't represent an increase year-on-year, Hamilton has nonetheless climbed from 11th to 10th on the list of the world's high൲est-earning athletes, according to Forbes'.

Hamilton is one of three F1 drivers inside the top 100, with Sebastian Vettel rising from 19th to 14th despite earnings/winnings dropping from $41m to $38m, while Fernando Alonso climbs✤ into the top 20 w♔ith annual earnings of $36m.

Significantly, the Forbes list reveals Ferrari pays Vettel the same Mercedes pays Hamilton , but earns only a further $500,000k in endorsements on top of that, co﷽mpared with Hamilton who ge☂ts an additional $8m from the likes of Monster, Bombardier and L'Oreal.

To put into perspective, Vettel is the only athle♕te in the top 30 to earn $500k or less in 💖endorsements.

The list is topped by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who receives $58m from Real Madrid before adding a further $35m in endorꦗsements. Roger Federer is the most endorsed athlete competing having accumulated a mammoth $58m worth in the last year.