Hamilton is the oldest athlete to rank first in 50MM historyLeclerc (25th) and Norris (41st) only other F1 drivers in top 50

Lewis Hamilton has been named the most marketable athlete in the world in SportsPro’s annual list of the world’s 50 Most Marketable (50MM) athletes.

This is the second time Formula One’s most successful driver has topped the overall rankings, becoming only the fourth athlete in 50MM history to take top spot on two occasions. At 40 years old, he is also the oldest athlete to rank first in 50MM.

Hamilton has also appeared in all but one of the 16 editions of 50MM, making him the most recognised athlete in the rankings.

The seven-time world champion, who joined Ferrari, Formula One’s most successful team, at the start of this season, has generated significant commercial interest over the course of his career, and this year signed endorsement deals with Lululemon and Perplexity.

His teammate Charles Leclerc (25th) and McLaren driver Lando Norris (41st) are the only other two motorsport drivers to be featured in the top 50, but there is further representation in the wider list of 150 athletes.

Oscar Piastri (64th), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (78th), Max Verstappen (81st), and Liam Lawson (95th) are the other Formula One drivers that make the list, while Nascar’s Toni Breidinger (67th) is the only non-Formula One driver to feature.

Surprisingly, Carlos Sainz and George Russell, who ranked 58th and 63rd last year respectively, have dropped out of the rankings entirely.

To determine the list, every athlete in 50MM is scored on a 100‑point Total Marketability Score built from three weighted scoring pillars:

1. Brand Strength (35)

2. Total Addressable Market (35)

3. Economics (30)

New for this year, cultural foresight‑driven momentum boosts at the pillar level capture where attention is accelerating, while an Athlete Persona Model translates scores into sponsor fit and portfolio design. 

Chris Collins, president and chief executive of NorthStar Solutions Group, said: “50MM is now two things at once: the industry benchmark for athlete marketability and a working playbook for decision makers.

“Each year we refine the model, so it reflects how value is actually created – linking disciplined scoring to momentum intelligence and our Athlete Persona framework.

“That gives brands, rights holders and agencies a clearer portfolio fit and expected outcomes, while giving athletes a practical roadmap to grow marketability, close gaps and communicate sponsor alignment with confidence.”