Valtteri Bottas sets record straight after Imola tax comments

Valtteri Bottas has explained what he meant by comments that included “no driver wants to really race in Italy” in December, owing to its current tax situation.

Italian finance authority was reported earlier this year to have begun stricter enforcement of its regulations surrounding income generated by foreign athletes during sporting events held on Italian soil, including Formula 1 drivers.

Valtteri Bottas expands on Italian tax comments

Foreign athletes are required under Italian law to pay tax on money earned while competing in the nation and, while this law is said to have previously been lenient in its enforcement, reports emerged that Formula 1 drivers have been sent letters by Italy’s financial police, the Guardia di Finanza, requesting that they submit tax returns on income earned in the country.

In explaining his pre-weekend comments in Malaysia, Bottas added that he had submitted tax records going back multiple seasons, to ensure the correct amount had been paid in Italy.

While his initial comments became a talking point on social media, the Cadillac driver was able to expand further on the subject and explain his position.

He clarified that paying tax itself is not the issue, as Formula 1 drivers pay taxes all over the world in order to compete; rather, he wants to know how much is owed at any one time in Italy.

As a result, he believes his pre-race comments were blown out of proportion.

“I heard about the article, and it’s one of these classic examples. When I explained about the situation, they only took the best bits to make it look really bad for me,” Bottas told Sky F1.

“Honestly, I have no problem paying taxes, as long as we know. We’re paying in many countries; I think more than 50 per cent of the races that we go to, there’s a certain percentage. That’s okay, as long as we know.

“What is kind of frustrating the drivers is that, in this case, they went back seven or eight years, and we always got told we don’t need to file anything for Italy. Of course, otherwise we would have.

“So, they just kind of came up with this thing, and we’re talking obviously a substantial amount – so I’m sure it would annoy anyone, but that’s just how it goes; but it would be nice to know in advance.”

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What did Valtteri Bottas say about tax in Italy?

On Thursday at Sepang, the Cadillac driver was asked about Formula 1’s contingency plan of a final race of the season taking place in Europe, should conflict in the Middle East rule out the planned back-to-back events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Imola would be the likely host of a replacement race if this were to be the case, in which Bottas explained why he would not want to race in Italy in winter, expanding to include his views on how tax is being raised in Italy.

Asked about the possibility of an Imola finale in 2026, Bottas told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “Not a big fan because I’ve heard about the weather normally around that time of the year.

“The fog in the mornings, the early sunset, temperature, and also I don’t know if you’ve heard about the Italian tax, so no driver wants to really race in Italy because of the recent events, what happened.”

“Well, [in] Abu Dhabi, there’s no tax rate,” he added with a laugh when put to him that finishing the season as planned would be a different scenario.

“I think everyone would like to race somewhere warmer but, for now, what I’ve heard, we’re still going to Qatar and Abu Dhabi.”

Formula One Management is set to make a decision over the conclusion of the 2026 calendar in the coming weeks.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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