8. Nico Hulkenberg ($4.5 million)
Nico Hulkenberg is a German professional race car driver. He is currently racing for the Sahara Force India F1 Team. He stepped into the F1 world in 2011 after his remarkable achievements in the GP2 series.
That year, he first joined Force India as a test driver. Then in 2012, he was given the front seat to race for the team alongside Paul di Resta. He was also given the annual salary of approximately $4.5 million.
Hulkenberg was the 2009 champion of the GP2 Series. He was also the former champion of both the Formula 3 Euro Series and A1 Grand Prix, as part of A1 Germany Team.
He is one of three drivers to ever win the GP2 series championship on his debut season. The other two are Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
