Hamilton laments 'stone-age' approach to sporting equality

Lewis Hamilton says the lack of women in Forbes' 100 highest-earning athletes shows that sport remains in "the stone age" with regard to gender equality. Hamilton ranked as the 12th highest earner in 2017, having made $51million as he won his fourth Formula 1 world drivers' title.

Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel (18th, $42.3m) and Fernando Alonso (39th, $33m) were the only motorsport stars ranked in a top 100 dominated by American athletes from the NFL and NBA.

Floyd Mayweather Jr was sport's best-paid star in 2017, earning $285m from his cross-combat megafight with UFC champion Conor McGregor, who ranked fourth.

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Serena Williams was the only female presence in the 2017 list, but the tennis grand-slam star's absence from action for much of last year after falling pregnant meant she dropped out.

Hamilton sees no reason why female athletes should not earn the same as their male counterparts, and has called for change.

"Well there are no women drivers so I don't see how Formula 1 has anything to do with it," said Hamilton when quizzed on the lack of females in the list. "But that just shows you how behind we are in the world.

"There is no reason women should not be able to earn what men are able to earn.

"Serena is in the top three of the greatest athletes of all-time above a lot, if not all, that are on that list so it is big, big question, why?

"Women rule the world. I don't understand.

"It just shows you we are still in the stone age. That needs to change."

Lella Lombardi is the last woman to start an F1 race at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix for Brabham.

The likes of Susie Wolff, Maria de Villota and Carmen Jorda have all fulfilled development and test roles for F1 teams in recent years without securing race seats. Colombian GP3 racer Tatiana Calderon is currently contracted to Sauber as test driver.