Survey: 'Lewis Hamilton more valuable than Max Verstappen'

Once they make it to the absolute top of the sports world, athletes are highly sought after by sponsors. It is certainly no different for the best drivers in Formula 1. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are seen as the absolute icons in their sport based on their achievements. Both are attractive to sponsors, one slightly more than the other, according to research.

Sports Pro Media annually surveys which top athletes represent the highest marketing value. According to the company, footballer Lionel Messi is this year's number one in the list, followed by basketball player LeBron James. At the third spot in the list we find the first woman, football star Alex Morgan.

Unknown names ahead of Verstappen

Lewis Hamilton is the highest-ranked Formula 1 driver. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen comes tenth. He is behind football star Megan Rapinoe (5), skier Mikaela Schiffrin (6), gymnast Simone Biles (8) and Kylian Mbappe (9). Lando Norris is the next Formula 1 driver at spot 25 and Charles Leclerc has to make do with 28th position.

Incidentally, this US survey may well be questioned. The first seven are all active in the United States, with several having little to no fame outside US borders. Moreover, Sports Pro Media misspelt Biles' name in its research, which immediately raises questions about how thorough the research was.