Revealed: In which countries do the current F1 drivers live?

Editor 20 May 2024 9:00 AM

A view of the Monaco harbour as the sun sets, with the Nouvelle Chicane on the right-hand side.

F1 drivers travel all over the world for their jobs, but as we all do, we all need somewhere to call home when we are away from work.

With every Formula 1 team’s factory in Europe, all but one of the drivers call the continent their home on a permanent basis, making it a more accessible commute for the drivers when they are called upon to go to their respective team’s bases. Like everyone else, F1 drivers have different reasons for living where they do, and we’ll explain some of the reasons why shortly – and there are no prizes for guessing the most popular destination.

Monaco leads Euro-centric nations F1 drivers call home

Monaco has been a home for F1 drivers across the generations, with its status as a tax haven (meaning full-time residents pay no federal income tax at all if they spend at least half the year in the country), privacy and safety – the nation holding a large police presence and illegal status placed on unlicensed paparazzi photographers – a big draw for those who can afford to live there.

Naturally, being a Formula 1 driver brings an income that often matches the requirements needed to live in Monaco, and a significant portion of the current grid have made the move to the Principality to take advantage of its benefits, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc being something of the exception to the rule in that he is Monégasque from birth.

While not quite as generous in its taxation system (albeit still charging low taxes to high earners), Switzerland has also been popular for drivers past and present for similar reasons, privacy included – with its central location in Europe also allowing for relatively seamless travel.

Some drivers choose to remain in the countries where they grew up, with Sergio Perez in particular facing hefty flights to and from Mexico in between race weekends to spend time with his family, while Kevin Magnussen heads back to Denmark and both Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz go back to Spain.

Yuki Tsunoda made the move to Italy from England ahead of the 2023 season to be closer to the AlphaTauri (now RB) team base, with former team-mate Pierre Gasly also calling Italy his home.

England is also a popular destination for drivers, with seven of the 10 Formula 1 teams based in the United Kingdom and some drivers opting to base themselves close to where they work – and the UK also being a key player in the motorsport scene in junior series, with Zhou Guanyu having moved to Sheffield when he was rising through the ranks.