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#3 Lewis Hamilton
The reigning world champion is arguably the biggest crossover driver in the history of the sport. Lewis Hamilton's F1 journey is nothing short of a fairytale. Encountering Ron Dennis at a very young age and telling him that you'll drive for him one day, beating a reigning double world champion in his debut season, and then moving to Mercedes, a team that was at best a midfield team, before putting together the most successful run in Formula One's history with them.
Lewis Hamilton's career is one that any youngster would aspire to have and dream to replicate. At the same point in time, his background, his extravagant lifestyle and, his eccentric personality propel him beyond the boundaries of what is possible for a Formula One driver.
Lewis Hamilton is not only a Formula One driver but a global personality. He's transcended the sport in many ways. No driver comes close to Hamilton's following on social media nor his results on track. His stance on global movements like Black Lives Matter and his bending the knee before the start of the race has singled him out as someone ready to use the position he's in to make his voice heard.
In terms of popularity, Hamilton has broken barriers and taken Formula One to an entirely new demographic. He might not enjoy the cult status that Senna did or the kind of admiration that Schumacher had but he holds his own in terms of the groups he's penetrated and the number of eyeballs he brings to the sport.
