As the 2023 season of Formula One continued in Jeddah over the weekend, avid fans have been eager to see their favourite drivers back in the driving seat. Finnish casino review site Bonusetu has tracked the growth of Instagram followers of each Formula One driver over the past two weeks to discover their increased popularity. Within the two-week timeframe tracked, the first and second races of the 2023 Formula One season had been aired.  

1. Fernando Alonso – 243,583 followers  

Alonso wowed Formula One fans once again this weekend with his second podium of the season, coming in third place at the Saudi Arabian GP. Soon after the celebrations had begun on the podium, his ranking was relegated to fourth place due to a ten-second time penalty not being served correctly. After three hours, and a quick appeal by Aston Martin, his third-place ranking was restored. The Aston Martin driver has clearly made an impression with viewers as an enormous 243,583 new fans of his have flocked to his Instagram following his amazing drives in both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races.

2. Lewis Hamilton – 178,533 followers 

Lewis Hamilton comes in second place as the most popular Formula One driver, gaining an enormous 178,533 Instagram followers over the past two weeks. Despite coming in fifth place in the season's first and second races, Lewis still has a great pull with viewers and fans.

3. Charles Leclerc - 130,905 followers

Charles Leclerc is the third most popular Formula One driver following his races in Bahrain and Jeddah. The Ferrari driver gained a massive 130,905 Instagram followers over the past two weeks, despite his unfortunate retirement from the first race of the season and his seventh-place ranking in the Saudi Arabian race.

4. Sergio Perez – 81,415 followers

The Red Bull driver wowed fans this weekend with his first-place win in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, beating his teammate and current world champ Max Verstappen. Perez has gained a respectable 81,415 followers since the first two races of the season, making him the fourth most popular driver.

5. Carlos Sainz - 78,559 followers

Carlos Sainz comes in fifth place as the most popular driver after gaining an impressive 78,559 Instagram followers over the past two weeks.

6. Max Verstappen- 64,469

7. Lance Stroll – 42,953

8. Pierre Gasly – 38,961

9. George Russell – 37,116

10. Lando Norris - 25,952

A spokesperson from Bonusetu commented on the findings: 

“The massive increase in Instagram followers for these Formula One drivers in partly due to the release of the latest series of Drive to Survive. Drive to Survive not only generates new fans and viewers of Formula One as a sport, but it also fleshes out the personalities and vulnerability of the drivers themselves. This leads to more fans ultimately seeing the person behind the car and flocking to their favourite driver's social media pages to follow their journeys. This being said, the dramatic increase in followers for Fernando Alonso is mainly due to his amazing performance in Bahrain and the Saudi Arabian races. As the oldest driver on the grid, Alonso's experience, along with his fantastic Aston Martin car, may just make him a top contender for this year's Formula One Championship. Alonso has further reason to celebrate, as he has earned his 100th podium in Formula One due to his P3 ranking this weekend."

Top 10 most popular Formula One drivers according to Instagram follower increase