Hamilton plummets from first to 22nd in marketability rankings as Leclerc surges to ninth

Lewis Hamilton has dropped from first to 22nd in SportsPro’s annual ranking of the 50 Most Marketable Athletes, with his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc now the highest-placed Formula 1 driver on the list at ninth. The 2026 edition, compiled using data from NorthStar Solutions Group, covers the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.

Hamilton’s marketability score fell sharply to 66.63 out of 100, down from 96.03 in the previous edition. Leclerc, by contrast, climbed from 25th to ninth with a score of 71.12, overtaking the seven-time world champion within their own team.

At the very top of the overall list sits Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka, followed by freestyle skier Eileen Gu, basketball’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Erling Haaland, and Carlos Alcaraz. Max Verstappen is the only other F1 driver in the top 50, having risen from 81st to 48th.

Beyond the top 50, Oscar Piastri ranks 56th — ahead of McLaren team-mate and 2025 world champion Lando Norris, who has slipped from 41st to 78th. Kimi Antonelli, F1’s newly crowned world champion, sits 126th, though his title-winning race in Mexico falls outside the ranking’s measurement window and is therefore not reflected in his score.

The timing of the data largely explains Hamilton’s decline. The period in question captures the bulk of his difficult debut season at Ferrari, during which he failed to reach a grand prix podium. His 2026 campaign has been markedly stronger — he spent much of the early season second in the drivers’ standings and, with three races remaining, sits fourth and still in contention for the runner-up position.

Despite the drop, Hamilton remains well clear of most of the grid in commercial terms. His brand extends well beyond the cockpit, spanning fashion, film, and wider cultural influence.