Insight: Who leads the way on social media?

Throughout the winter break Motorsport Week will be providing insight into the various machinations of the Formula 1 world. Today we take a look at the following Formula 1 drivers have on social media.

Social media has had an irreversible impact on life in the 21st century, both positive and negative, from its influence on politics, the economy, developing news stories and more. A world that was initially unveiled with the onset of professional and personal platforming quickly grew into a commercial and global outlet. The likes of Friends Reunited were usurped by Facebook (2004), Twitter (2006) and Instagram (2010), not to mention the likes of Reddit, YouTube, Vine, Snapchat, WhatsApp and, thanks to the great firewall of China, their specific platforms Weibo, WeChat and QQ. Some of these platforms now have shared ownership, the available access has caused concerns over personal data breaches and privacy regulations, while some individuals have made millions, grown into celebrities and cultivated personalities through little more than a social media profile, a phone and some creative thinking.

Sport has become intertwined within social media, benefiting individuals, teams and entire championships.

In motorsport a legion of drivers, teams and championships have profiles across various platforms for various purposes. For all social media is a tool to grow their recognition and to directly reach their fanbase, providing a direct link that was never before possible. For individuals they can provide regular updates on their lives, allowing fans into their world, while also showing their personality, cultivating their own narrative in the process. For some it can be the development and growth of a brand, either personal or professional, such as weekend updates and post-event thoughts. For teams and championships it is a similar approach, albeit with more commercial interests at heart. ‘Exclusive’ behind-the-scenes footage or content can be provided, brands can be heavily promoted, while interaction with fans can generate involvement and greater traffic. The narrative can be controlled. Developments or announcements will be posted immediately on various social media platforms, specifically timed for the greatest reach, often before a press release arrives for the written media.

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Formula 1, compared to some sports, had initially been slow to react to the advancement of social media, owing to the previous ownership’s reluctance to engage. Under Liberty Media teams and drivers have been given greater leeway to use video footage while in the process the championship has heavily expanded its own social media platforms.

But who has the greatest reach in Formula 1 and how do they use their respective platforms? Formula 1 drivers and teams predominantly use Twitter, Instagram – and its accompaniment Instagram Stories – to reach their followers. The championship and its stars still lags behind some sports, with the leading protagonists from the world of football, the NBA and NFL attracting a far greater reach than Formula 1’s main superstar. Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, has a staggering 196 million Instagram followers. His girlfriend has a larger social media following than any Formula 1 driver.

That of course is Lewis Hamilton, whose 13.9M Instagram followers and 5.6M Twitter followers far out-weighs his opponents. Hamilton is comfortably the most successful current driver, is the second-most experienced driver on the grid, and has significant interests outside of the sport, ostensibly boosting his following. He and his social media team regularly post updates from grand prix weekends while Hamilton himself takes to Instagram Stories to chart his life, regularly with personal thoughts and opinions on social matters. Hamilton has made his opinion known on animal cruelty, world politics and the environment. At grands prix he has live-streamed the podium ceremony, post-race celebrations and press conferences.

On Instagram Hamilton has as many followers as his nearest seven rivals combined. The up-and-coming superstars Max Verstappen (2.8M) and Charles Leclerc (2.6M) have shot up the order in recent years while Daniel Ricciardo (2.6M) is widely regarded as one of Formula 1’s most charismatic and entertaining drivers, regularly posting silly and engaging videos on his profiles. Remember Ricciardo and Leclerc filming each other on a flight this year? Kimi Raikkonen shunned social media for years but in late 2017 launched an Instagram profile and his video and photo updates – typically with very brief captions – are followed by 1.7M people. Valtteri Bottas (1.3M), Lando Norris (1.2M) and Carlos Sainz Jr. (1.1M) are the other drivers in seven figures. Norris’ following has rapidly grown through his self-deprecation, use of memes and milk obsession.

On Twitter only three drivers join Hamilton in having over a million followers. Sergio Perez is the surprise second-placed man with 2.1M followers, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo on 1.7M and Max Verstappen on 1.1M. Next up is Romain Grosjean on 854K.

But what about (or is that aboot) the bottom end of the spectrum? Well, that honour falls – perhaps unsurprisingly – to Lance Stroll and Formula 1’s sole 2020 rookie Nicholas Latifi. Stroll has 212K followers on Instagram and 40K on Twitter, while compatriot Latifi has 42.8K (Instagram) and 11K (Twitter) respectively.

And while teams and drivers have grown their profile it has not always been without a storm. In 2014 Lotus had to apologise after a posting a Tweet about the Winter Olympics, which featured two men kissing, perceived as a criticism of Russian laws over homosexuality. Two years previously, in Belgium, Hamilton posted an image of his and McLaren team-mate Jenson Button’s data on Twitter, showing the difference between their respective components and set-ups. It also contained sensitive information, angering McLaren, with Hamilton swiftly removing the tweet and subsequently apologising. It was revealed years later, though, that the image was actually of simulator data.  

Not everyone, though, is a fan. Four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel has the grand total of 0 followers, for he does not have any personal social media account.

“I just can’t identify with a generation that wants to share everything, at all times,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports in 2019. “It’s not that I have something to hide, not at all. I think many people are thinking that life of a Formula 1 driver is a lot more exotic than my life is, but I actually like to have a normal life, and I think I qualify as living a normal life. But I don’t have the desire to share. Why? I don’t get the point. Why do you need to tell people what you are doing?”

Figures correct as of January 2020