Hamilton is no longer F1’s biggest marketing draw. Leclerc has overtaken him
X/Ferrari
Who is Formula 1’s most marketable driver? For years, that distinction belonged to Lewis Hamilton. But the seven-time world champion appears to be losing his marketing appeal. So who has become F1’s biggest marketing draw? Max Verstappen? Lando Norris? Kimi Antonelli? No, Charles Leclerc has beaten all the world champions to the top spot.
The Monegasque driver is Formula 1’s most marketable athlete, according to the SportsPro rankings. Charles even made the top ten across all sports. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton regularly ranks among the most marketable figures in sport. Last year, following his move to Ferrari, he even topped the same list. In 2026, however, he has tumbled down the order.
The SportsPro rankings show that marketing is not just about wins or titles. The publication assessed athletes’ marketability against three criteria – brand equity (scored out of 45), momentum (out of 40) and commercial trajectory (out of 15). Those three pillars encompass a total of 27 indicators.
Charles Leclerc was the highest-ranked Formula 1 driver in the assessment, finishing ninth overall.
SportsPro’s top 10 most marketable athletes:
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Eileen Gu
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Erling Haaland
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Alysa Liu
- Victor Wembanyama
- Alexander Zverev
- Charles Leclerc
- AJ Dybantsa
Hamilton’s fall is primarily down to his age. At 41, he no longer has scope for further growth, which has pushed him significantly lower in the rankings. Leclerc also outscored him on the most important measure, however: overall brand equity. Charles scored 71.12/100, while Hamilton managed “only” 66.63. In terms of overall brand equity, SportsPro ranks Leclerc second in the world.
Chris Collins, president of NorthStar Solutions Group, which helped compile the rankings, said: “Charles Leclerc has one of the strongest established brands of any athlete in the world. He ranks second of all 247 athletes we assessed on brand equity, built on how he presents himself, a compelling personal story and premium partners who keep choosing to work with him,”
With SportsPro’s new methodology placing greater emphasis on the future and further marketing potential, veterans who once dominated such rankings have fallen further down the final order. Hamilton dropped to 22nd, LeBron James was 26th and Lionel Messi 27th.
What about the others?
Max Verstappen was the third-highest-ranked Formula 1 driver, but placed “only” 48th overall. The judges particularly valued his authenticity and willingness to speak his mind. The Dutchman will never top such rankings, however, given his aversion to marketing and PR activities – although that is also one of the reasons for his huge popularity.
“This translates to particularly low scores in narrative strength, media sentiment, and engagement rate momentum. Through this honest approach, however, Verstappen has added weight and credibility to the moments where he works with his partners,” writes SportsPro.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris ranked only 78th overall and fifth among F1 drivers. Even Mercedes driver George Russell was ahead of him, while his team-mate Oscar Piastri finished just behind.
Norris has the highest score for untapped monetisation potential of any Formula 1 driver. SportsPro therefore notes that his potential can still grow. He also has significant weaknesses, however.
“What [Norris] doesn’t yet have is the depth of established brand that Leclerc, Hamilton and Verstappen have built over many years,” explains Collins.
“A championship accelerates attention; brand equity takes longer to accumulate. Norris is at the start of that build, with more upside ahead of him than anyone else on the grid,” he added.
Kimi Antonelli’s recent successes have yet to make much of an impact on his position in the rankings. The young Italian placed 126th overall. The magazine assessed a period that preceded his latest successes, so we can be sure he will climb the rankings in future.
