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4-time F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel is widely recognized for his disagreement with him being on social media. The veteran driver, who races for the Aston Martin F1 Team in 2022, has been vocal about how he never felt the need to socialize on the internet and tell people about his personal life. The 35-year-old sees popular platforms such as Instagram and Twitter as forms of entertainment, where the content does not align with reality.
The former Ferrari driver, however, decided to change his mind about the online revolution and jump in on the act, creating waves amongst the sport's fans, young and old alike. Whether he has succumbed to the temptation or has been persuaded by his peers to do so, we will never know. One thing, however, is for sure, it means more access into our favorite drivers' lives for fans of the sport.
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The verified account under Vettel's name on Instagram showcases his 'V5' logo and his bio reads 'Four-time F1 World Champion' and 'THERE IS STILL A RACE TO WIN', hinting at his activism against climate change among many other causes. The first post on his profile answers the biggest question about the German and his future in the sport, as he announces retirement by the end of the year.
This leads one to wonder who the most influential and popular driver is on social media, as personalities like our favorite drivers play a key part in how one interacts with the sport in a day and age of more transparency and communication than ever before.
Top 7 F1 drivers with the most social media followers
Here are the top seven drivers that have the most social media reach in the F1 racing fraternity:
#7 Lando Norris (Instagram: 5.6M, Facebook: 939,000 Twitter: 2M)
Lando Norris, the young British driver, has been a fan favorite amongst the younger generation of fans of the sport. An avid Twitch streamer and an established racer on the track, Norris manages to connect to his fanbase more efficiently than any other driver on the grid.
The COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 shot Norris into the limelight with his online streams. The McLaren driver now interacts with fans through his lifestyle brand Quadrant and its YouTube channel along with other social media platforms.
#6 Sergio Perez (Instagram: 4.5M, Facebook: 1.3M, Twitter: 3.3M)
Sergio Perez is one of the most experienced drivers of the 2022 season at the pinnacle of motorsports. The Red Bull Racing man is the sole Mexican driver on the grid and pulls in a lot of interest from North and South American viewers to the sport.
Since his battles at the front of the pack after joining Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, the former Racing Point driver has seen his popularity rise on platforms such as Instagram.
#5 Fernando Alonso (Instagram: 4.5M, Facebook: 2M, Twitter: 3.1M)
Two-time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso is known to be a fiery racer on the track and has a cool and calm head off it. The 40-year-old is the oldest driver on the grid with a record of the most Grand Prix laps driven to his name.
The Spaniard boasts of a strong social media presence, with him even acknowledging 'El Plan', a social media trend that circled online with regards to the Alpine F1 Team driver.
#4 Charles Leclerc (Instagram: 8.3M, Facebook: 1.1M, Twitter: 2M)
Current championship contender and driver for Scuderia Ferrari, Charles Leclerc is part of the younger generation that is moving F1 forwards along with the likes of George Russell and Lando Norris.
He also rose to online fame during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown where he was seen indulging in funny gaming streams and banter. His social media posts revolve regularly around his tales on the track, with the occasional personal picture.
#3 Daniel Ricciardo (Instagram: 7.2M, Facebook: 1.6M, Twitter: 2.9M)
Daniel Ricciardo, or the 'Honey Badger' as he is often referred to, is one of the sport's most popular faces. His jolly personality and big smile make for a very likable personality both on and off the track.
The Australian has been one of the most popular drivers in America, even more so after his NASCAR exhibition run at the Circuit of the Americas last year and the Netflix series Drive To Survive.
#2 Max Verstappen (Instagram: 9M, Facebook: 2.5M, Twitter: 2.9M)
The 2021 F1 World Champion Max Verstappen rose to his social media fame majorly after he went head-to-head with 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton last year.
Verstappen's social media posts are primarily focused on his activities on the track as the 24-year-old is known to keep his personal life to himself.
#1 Lewis Hamilton (Instagram: 29.2M, Facebook: 6M, Twitter: 7.6M)
The most popular F1 driver by quite some margin will have to be seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, as he has been the face of the sport for over the past 10 years. The Briton's fiery performances during his early days as well as his record-equalling seven world titles make him a household name.
The 37-year-old's interest outside of F1 keeps his circle big enough that he is involved with the A-lister crowd from the film, fashion, and music industry. Lewis also has sung a song called 'Pipe' with famous singer Christina Aguilera under the pseudonym XNDA.
