No quarter given: millionaire F1 drivers split Shanghai dinner bill 17 ways ahead of Chinese Grand Prix

Formula One drivers rank among the world’s richest sportsmen, but after dining out at a swanky Shanghai restaurant before this week’s Chinese Grand Prix they split the bill 17 ways.

World champion Lewis Hamilton, who last year signed a new three-year deal with Mercedes worth US$140 million, chose the venue for Wednesday’s bash and paid the deposit, but the Briton claimed German teammate Nico Rosberg insisted on going Dutch when the bill arrived.

“We shared the bill, which was a little bit silly really,” Hamilton said on Thursday.

“Someone said let’s just share the bill and 17 drivers shared the fricking bill, which is insane.

“It probably wasn’t that expensive so I was like ‘one or two of us should get it now and the next time someone else get it’ and then it was ‘no, no, no, I wanna pay individually.”

Asked who had opted to split the bill, Hamilton replied mischievously: “I’m pretty sure it was Nico.”

Hamilton even revealed the moneybags drivers had all asked for a receipt.

“We all got a copy of the receipt,” he smiled. “Seventeen receipts and 17 credit cards it was the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.”