F1’s 6 highest earners on Instagram, ranked: Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, Red Bull’s current world champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez are up there, along with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc
- Formula One drivers take home millions in salary and bonuses, but also earn big from sponsors such as Heineken, Richard Mille, Giorgio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Monster Energy and Puma
- McLaren’s Lando Norris was the youngest-ever British F1 driver, while Spain’s Carlos Sainz Jr. drives for Ferrari alongside Leclerc
Wealthy, influential and wildly famous, it’s no surprise that Formula One drivers are a prime target for sponsors looking to get the word out about their products and services.
As drivers prepare for the next big race – the Australian Grand Prix, taking place between March 30 and April 2 at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne – they add to their wealth with every mention of a sponsor on their social media posts about racing, training or merely the glamorous life they lead.
But how much do drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen get paid for a post on Instagram? Experts from Rant Casino analysed data from the Influencer Marketing Hub, a global resource on social media, to determine the earning potential of F1 drivers, taking into account their marketing power, number of followers, post engagement and post shares.
Here is a ranking of the six top-rated F1 racers on the social media power list.
6. Sergio Pérez
Instagram followers: 5.5 million
Earnings per post: around US$18,400
It’s going to be a fiery F1 season as the Mexican Red Bull driver goes head-to-head with his teammate, Max Verstappen. Sergio Pérez, 33, has a relatively small but loyal fan following unsurprisingly dominated by fellow Mexicans. He has 5.5 million Instagram followers, with estimates putting his earning power at around US$18,400 per sponsored post.
His determination to make it to the F1 after he was banned from driving in Mexico as a teen, per British media, is the stuff dreams are made of. Reports also stated that, at 14, Pérez approached billionaire Carlos Slim to help fund his driving dreams and he’s since clawed his way into F1.