Formula One legend Lewis Hamilton has been named the world's most marketable athlete, topping SportsPro's annual list for the second time. The racing superstar outshone F1 rival Max Verstappen and other sporting greats such as Simone Biles, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe to claim the top spot.
Despite a challenging debut season with Ferrari in 2025 following his departure from Mercedes, Hamilton climbed an impressive 10 places in the rankings, dethroning gymnastics prodigy Biles.
The 40-year-old achieved a total 'marketability score' of 96.03, which took into account factors like authenticity, brand strength, performance within the sport, and audience engagement. Other sports icons joining Hamilton in the top 10 included NBA stars Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as footballers Ronaldo and Neymar.
Interestingly, the next highest-ranked motorsport personality was not the current world champion but Charles Leclerc, Hamilton's team-mate. Leclerc ranked 25th with a score of 75.04, placing him just below American sprinting sensation Noah Lyles and Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade.
Six other motorsport stars made the cut, with five hailing from the F1 grid. Lando Norris, who has seen a significant rise in popularity among younger fans, was the third-highest ranked among the current crop, in 41st place, while team-mate Oscar Piastri came in at 64th.
Mercedes' young sensation Kimi Antonelli found himself in 78th place, while four-time world champion Max Verstappen was surprisingly only 81st, perhaps reflecting his reserved approach to life away from the track. Rounding off F1's representation on the list was Liam Lawson at 95th

Intriguingly nestled among these F1 heavyweights was Toni Breidinger, currently 23rd in the NASCAR Truck Series standings. The driver of the No.5 Toyota for Tricon Garage has become an internet phenomenon thanks to her stock car racing and modelling endeavours, amassing a staggering 2.4 million Instagram followers along the way.
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However, for Hamilton, his success off the track will provide little solace if his on-track performance doesn't improve soon. The Ferrari star has just five chances left to secure a podium finish in his debut season with the Prancing Horse, a task made all the more challenging by Fred Vasseur's team's current struggles in 2025.
"Good result," Hamilton commented after securing fourth place in Austin last weekend. "Amazing result for the team. Third and fourth. Good points, great to finish ahead of the Mercedes team to get those points, and even ahead of the McLarens.
"So definitely a positive, and I went forward even after a bad start, so lots and lots of positives to take from here. I think naturally, I want to be further up, but just got to keep working at it. But we're definitely on the right path."
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