)
Aston Martin driver and F1 veteran Fernando Alonso has gained the most fans over the last two weeks, with 211,979 new Instagram followers.
The 2023 season of Formula One finally got off to a thrilling start over the weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.
There was lots of excitement as fans had been eager to see their favourite drivers back in the driving seat.
However, the return of the new season also saw significant growth in the fanbase of some of the biggest names in F1 division.
Finnish casino review site Bonusetu has tracked the growth of Instagram followers of each Formula One driver over the past two weeks.
The time frame taken into consideration includes the period between the release of the new season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series and the first race of the 2023 Formula One season.
Fernando Alonso headlines Top 10 drivers with the most followers on Instagram after F1 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix
The research from Bonsetu reveals Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso has as the driver who gained the most fans over the last two weeks, with 211,979 new Instagram followers, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc coming second and third respectively. While Bahrain GP winner and defending world champion Max Verstappen comes in fourth place.
Here’s the list of the Top 10 below:
1. Fernando Alonso – 211,979 followers
)
Alonso impressed Formula 1 fans this weekend with his surprise podium appearance in Bahrain with spectacular overtakes and calm and calculated driving.
The Aston Martin driver has clearly made an impression with viewers as an enormous 211,979 new fans of his have flocked to his Instagram following his third-place drive.
2. Lewis Hamilton – 206,035 followers
)
Lewis Hamilton comes in second place as the most popular Formula One driver, gaining an enormous 206,035 Instagram followers over the past two weeks.
Despite coming in fifth place in the season's first race, the seven-time world champion and Mercedes driver still has a great pull with viewers and fans.
3. Charles Leclerc - 160,079 followers
)
Charles Leclerc is the third most popular Formula One driver following the release of the latest Drive to Survive instalment and his race in Bahrain.
The Ferrari driver gained a massive 160,079 Instagram followers over the past two weeks, despite his unfortunate retirement from the first race of the season.
4. Carlos Sainz – 105,424 followers
)
Carlos Sainz comes in fourth place as the most popular driver after gaining an impressive 105,424 Instagram followers over the past two weeks.
Interestingly, Sainz also took fourth place in the Bahrain race with his Ferrari, beating Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton.
5. Max Verstappen - 78,744 followers
)
The current Formula One world champion, Max Verstappen, comes in fifth place in popularity, having gained 78,744 followers over the past two weeks.
Verstappen won this weekend's first race of the season, easily beating the competition in his Red Bull car, and reminding fans again why Red Bull are the team to beat this season.
6. Sergio Perez - 67,372
7. George Russell – 62,437
8. Pierre Gasly – 58,952
9. Lando Norris – 43,066
10. Yuki Tsunoda - 37,581
Data collected by Bonusetu.
| Driver | 21st Feb | 24th Feb | 28th Feb | 6th March | Increase in followers over two weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, Fernando Alonso | 4,958,819 | 4,966,558 | 4,979,832 | 5,170,798 | 211,979 |
| 2, Lewis Hamilton | 31,549,445 | 31,603,643 | 31,648,175 | 31,755,480 | 206,035 |
| 3, Charles Leclerc | 9,974,241 | 10,003,578 | 10,029,231 | 10,134,320 | 160,079 |
| 4, Carlos Sainz | 6,271,222 | 6,289,539 | 6,307,484 | 6,376,646 | 105,424 |
| 5, Max Verstappen | 9,489,852 | 9,498,032 | 9,510,304 | 9,568,596 | 78,744 |
| 6, Sergio Perez | 5,383,253 | 5,392,357 | 5,405,625 | 5,450,625 | 67,372 |
| 7, George Russell | 4,071,275 | 4,079,539 | 4,091,486 | 4,133,712 | 62,437 |
| 8, Pierre Gasly | 3,810,963 | 3,819,088 | 3,829,438 | 3,869,915 | 58,952 |
| 9, Lando Norris | 5,988,720 | 5,995,334 | 6,004,459 | 6,031,786 | 43,066 |
| 10, Yuki Tsunoda | 1,390,989 | 1,395,394 | 1,402,233 | 1,428,570 | 37,581 |
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)