Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Thirteen of Formula 1’s 22 current drivers officially live in Monaco, a remarkable concentration that has turned the principality into the modern grid’s unofficial home base.
That group includes Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Alexander Albon, Nico Hülkenberg, Gabriel Bortoleto, Liam Lawson, Oliver Bearman and Valtteri Bottas. For a sport built on constant travel, Monaco has become more than a glamorous address. It is where a large part of the paddock is based between races.
Tax is part of the explanation, but not the whole one. Monaco does not levy personal income tax on most residents, a major draw in a championship where drivers can earn millions through salaries, bonuses and sponsorship deals. Norris acknowledged that openly when explaining his move, saying it was for “reasons you can probably expect. A lot of drivers do that.”
Even so, the appeal described by drivers and in reporting goes well beyond money. Monaco offers privacy and one of Europe’s safest environments, along with quick access to Nice airport via its heliport, a central location for a Europe-heavy schedule, and more than 300 sunny days a year. Those advantages matter in a series where time away from the track is limited and recovery is a competitive asset.
Leclerc, the one current driver born and raised in Monaco, framed it less as a financial decision than a personal one. He said there are “two different Monacos,” one during race weekend and one outside it, and described the principality simply as home, with the added benefit of staying close to friends and family.
Verstappen, who has lived there since he was 18, made a similar point. “Monaco is my home,” he said, praising it as very safe, friendly and a great place for children. The fact it also stages a Formula 1 race, he said, is really only “a bonus.”
The pattern is not universal, and that helps explain what Monaco offers and where its limits are. French drivers do not gain the same financial benefit from living there because of French tax rules. Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar live in Italy, while Esteban Ocon lives in Switzerland.
That split underlines the real story. Monaco remains highly attractive to F1 drivers because it combines financial advantages with security, privacy and everyday convenience in a way few places can match, which is why more than half of the current grid now calls it home.