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Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton in 2025 to help them end their long wait to win a Formula 1 world championship.
Kimi Raikkonen is still the last person to win a drivers’ championship for Ferrari back in 2007, and in that time, the Scuderia have watched Lewis Hamilton earn seven titles for McLaren and Mercedes.
Unfortunately, their first season together didn’t go to plan, with Hamilton finishing 267 points behind eventual champion Lando Norris.
However, one of the added benefits of Ferrari signing Hamilton was his marketability.
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No other driver comes close to the 42 million followers the 41-year-old has on Instagram, and his fanbase is truly worldwide, with Hamilton an honorary Brazilian citizen.
Ferrari have benefited from Hamilton’s arrival due to sponsorships, but as his star begins to wane on the track, he may no longer be the draw that he once was for companies.
One CMO at a title sponsor of a rival team has now suggested that rivals McLaren are more ‘marketable’ than Hamilton due to their recent success.
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McLaren now more ‘marketable’ than Lewis Hamilton after 2025 Ferrari struggles
Chief Marketing Officer of Revolut, Antoine Le Nel, was asked on the Business of Sport Podcast if having a direct association with Hamilton right now would be better than having a relationship with McLaren, and he said: “I would rather be with McLaren.
“I mean, because they’re winning and so on, for the brand, I think it’s much better as well.
“I mean, I think there’s a bit of drama around Ferrari happening at the moment, which is not very good for the brands that are there.
“So, you don’t like noise when you’re a brand, you want to take calculated risks, and you want to control a little bit of some of the things, and you don’t want to have your brand being exposed.”
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Ferrari made a marketing mistake with blue HP sponsorship on their 2025 F1 cars
Ferrari are the most iconic team on the grid, and their red cars are recognisable anywhere around the world.
However, Le Nel thinks HP’s blue Ferrari sponsorship, which appeared on the cars at the Miami Grand Prix, was a real mistake.
Ferrari have experimented in the past with changing their livery at times, sometimes accenting the majority of their red car with either black or white details.
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Many people will associate Shell’s yellow logo with Ferrari, or the word Marlboro plastered across the back of the rear wing.
The combination of Ferrari and Hamilton will still be very attractive to a lot of potential sponsors.
However, Zak Brown is seen as F1’s best marketer and has raised millions off the track.
McLaren’s papaya car stands out on the track, although the colour papaya may now be more associated with the internal rules the team laid out for Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
All of this could change in 2026, depending on the pecking order of the grid once F1’s rule changes come in.
Hamilton and Ferrari will hope that they’re far more competitive this year; otherwise, questions will continue to be asked about his future in the sport.
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