Fernando Alonso
IN PHOTO: McLaren Formula One racing driver Fernando Alonso of Spain leaves his garage during pre-season testing at the Jerez racetrack in southern Spain February 3, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo

Global leaders in sports marketing research, Repucom, has released its top 10 list of the most marketable Formula One, or F1 drivers. Newly McLaren-Honda driver Fernando Alonso has topped the list for second straight year followed by Williams’ Felipe Massa and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

Repucom’s annual list is calculated using the global celebrity evaluation index (DBI index), which measures the perception of the general public about celebrities. The survey was carried out in F1 drivers’ respective home countries. A total of 500 respondents with ages ranging from 16 years old to 69 years old rated the F1 drivers based on various factors such as popularity, charisma, trendsetting ability, and influence on the public among several other metrics.

Alonso reportedly received a score of 89.61 out of 100. The survey stated that more than 98 percent of people in Spain know Alonso, 88 percent of those people see Alonso as a good brand ambassador while 83 percent say they trust the two-time F1 world champion.

Massa, on the other hand, received a DBI index of 88.84, almost one point behind Alonso. In Brazil, more than 99 percent of the population knows Massa, 89 percent of which say they enjoy watching his races.

Quadruple world champion Vettel, who moved to Ferrari at the end of the 2014 season, took the third spot with DBI index of 85.49. Vettel’s marketability reportedly dropped compared to last year’s survey where he got a DBI index of 87.97.

Vettel’s former Red Bull teammate Aussie racing driver Daniel Ricciardo is a new entry this year alongside rookie Max Verstappen of Toro Rosso. Ricciardo earned the seventh place with DBI index of 66.97 while Verstappen entered the list at the ninth spot with 64.84. For the complete list of F1’s most marketable drivers, visit Repucom.net.

The F1 drivers are busy with their final preparations for the season-opening race at the Australian Grand Prix. Alonso had to sit out the race after his crashing in the final day of the third pre-season test in Barcelona. He suffered a concussion from the crash and stayed at the hospital for three nights After he was discharged, Alonso’s doctors advised him to skip Melbourne to avoid the second impact syndrome.

Currently, Alonso is working on getting back in shape so he can compete in the second race of the season at the Malaysian Grand Prix from March 27 to 29. He has been sharing and posting pictures of his training sessions on social media to keep his fans updated about his recovery.

“I keep working hard,” Alonso wrote. “Back to normal routine, back to the office soon, #CountdownMalaysia #McLarenHonda.”

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