Formula 1 drivers aren’t just winning on the track — they’re dominating online.
But according to new analysis from Fanatix, the digital world of F1 is packed with fake followers, bot armies, and inflated earning power, revealing a hidden revenue stream that few fans ever consider.
The investigation dives into Instagram data for the sport’s top drivers and teams, uncovering exactly how many of their followers are fake… and how much money they’re making because of it.
And the results are wild.
The Top Line: Hamilton Leads the Grid — in Fake Followers Earnings
Despite a winless and podium-less first season in Ferrari red, Lewis Hamilton still rules the online world.
With 41.6 million Instagram followers, almost 28% of them estimated to be fake, Hamilton’s bot army numbers 11.58 million phantom fans — more followers than many entire F1 teams have in total.
And those bots aren’t just inflating his stats. They’re making him money.
Hamilton could be earning up to $36,830 per sponsored post FROM FAKE ACCOUNTS ALONE — more than triple any other driver.
- Max Verstappen bot earnings: $9,895 per post
- Charles Leclerc bot earnings: $10,741 per post
Hamilton’s fake-follower revenue is 272% higher than Verstappen’s, and nearly matching the annual salary of some midfield drivers — from a single post.
To put it in perspective:
An average American worker would need 1,170 hours — almost seven months — to earn what Hamilton gets from bots in one Instagram upload.
📈 The Top 10 F1 Drivers Earning the Most From Fake Followers
| Rank | Driver | Instagram Followers | % Fake | Fake Followers | Max $/Post | $ From Fake Followers/Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | 41.6M | 27.84% | 11.58M | $132,292 | $36,830 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | 21.2M | 15.93% | 3.37M | $67,424 | $10,741 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | 16.7M | 18.63% | 3.11M | $53,111 | $9,895 |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz | 12.1M | 21.99% | 2.66M | $38,483 | $8,462 |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | 7.6M | 34.55% | 2.63M | $24,168 | $8,350 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | 10.9M | 16.33% | 1.78M | $34,674 | $5,662 |
| 7 | George Russell | 7.6M | 21.80% | 1.65M | $24,172 | $5,269 |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | 5.9M | 22.44% | 1.32M | $18,762 | $4,210 |
| 9 | Oscar Piastri | 5.5M | 17.73% | 975K | $17,499 | $3,103 |
| 10 | Franco Colapinto | 5.1M | 15.05% | 767K | $16,228 | $2,442 |
Alonso Has the Most Fake Followers Percentage in F1 — One in Three Accounts Are Bots
While Hamilton leads in total bot numbers, Fernando Alonso leads in proportion, with:
- 34.55% fake followers
- More than 2.6 million bots
- Worth $8,350 per sponsored post
Nearly one in every three followers on Alonso’s account is fake.
F1 Teams: McLaren Leads the Fake Follower Championship
The investigation also revealed how many bots follow F1 teams — and the surprise winner is McLaren, with:
- 16.2M followers
- 28.98% fake
- 4.69M phantom followers
They beat Williams, Racing Bulls, and Aston Martin, who all have fake-follower rates above 26%.
The full ranking:
| Rank | Team | Followers | % Fake | Fake Followers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 16.2M | 28.98% | 4.69M |
| 2 | Williams Racing | 4.9M | 27.17% | 1.33M |
| 3 | Racing Bulls | 3.7M | 26.95% | 997K |
| 4 | Aston Martin | 5.2M | 26.66% | 1.39M |
| 5 | Mercedes | 15M | 26.25% | 3.94M |
| 6 | Haas | 3.4M | 25.49% | 866K |
| 7 | Alpine | 4.6M | 25.42% | 1.17M |
| 8 | Ferrari | 19.7M | 25.28% | 4.98M |
| 9 | Kick Sauber | 3.1M | 24.43% | 757K |
| 10 | Red Bull | 30.7M | 23.10% | 7.09M |
Red Bull, interestingly, has the biggest following of all teams — but also the lowest percentage of bots.
The Verdict: Social Media Is the New F1 Gold Mine
The investigation reveals a truth Formula 1 has been slow to confront:
Drivers and teams are earning millions — not just from fans, but from fake fans.
Whether it’s Hamilton’s bot-driven revenue explosion, Alonso’s sky-high fake-follower percentage, or McLaren’s massive bot count, the financial impact is undeniable.
In F1, even your bots make money.
