Home & Life

Unlike many of his rivals who relocated across Europe for racing, Crivillé stayed closely tied to Catalonia, where he grew up, and has remained a respected figure in Spanish motorsport circles since retiring.

Like several other Spanish MotoGP riders, Rins is based in Andorra, the small principality in the Pyrenees popular among motorsport competitors for its location and tax arrangements.

Most F1 drivers relocate to Monaco or Switzerland as their careers progress. Antonelli, at least at the outset of his F1 career, has remained based in Bologna — close to family and the Italian motorsport world he grew up in. Whether this changes as his career develops remains to be seen, but it reflects a family-rooted identity that contrasts with the Monaco-based driver archetype.

Despite spending most of the F1 season in Europe and maintaining a home in Portugal as well as in São Paulo, Senna remained deeply identified with Brazil. He was acutely aware of the political and economic struggles of ordinary Brazilians during the 1980s and 1990s and spoke about this in interviews. His death in May 1994 resulted in three days of national mourning in Brazil and a state funeral attended by three million people.

Sheene moved to Queensland, Australia in the 1990s, where he continued working in motorsport media and remained a recognisable, well-regarded figure until his death from cancer in 2003 — a relocation that gave him a second phase of public life on the other side of the world from where his fame had originally been built.

Crutchlow lives on the Isle of Man, maintaining a connection to the island long associated with motorcycle racing history, though his own competitive career was built in MotoGP and World Superbike rather than the TT itself.

Leclerc was born and raised in Monte Carlo, and the Monaco Grand Prix circuit runs through the streets of the principality he calls home. As a child he watched the race from the streets near his house. The experience of racing as a Ferrari driver in the event that passes your bedroom window is one that only he, among current drivers, can claim.

Hill lives in Dublin, Ireland, and has described it as a genuinely excellent place to live — warm, culturally rich, and unpretentious in ways that suit his personality. He works in broadcasting and media in the UK while based in Ireland, and the arrangement appears to suit him well.

Ricciardo relocated to Los Angeles and has spoken about it as genuinely suiting his personality — the climate, the culture, and the Californian approach to life work well for him. He has been photographed at entertainment events, sporting events, and social gatherings across the city, and appears to have built a genuine social life there rather than existing in an F1 bubble.

Petrucci has stayed closely connected to Terni, where he grew up, rather than relocating to one of the more common rider bases elsewhere in Europe.

Lawson has lived for many years in Lake Havasu City, a lakeside desert community in Arizona popular with several other retired American motorsport competitors.

Bastianini grew up in Rimini, part of the same broader Emilia-Romagna motorsport region of Italy that has produced several of the country's leading modern riders.

Quartararo, like a number of his fellow elite Grand Prix riders, has based himself in Andorra, the small principality between France and Spain that has become a popular relocation destination for professional athletes across multiple sports for tax and lifestyle reasons.

Like a number of his fellow elite riders, Bagnaia has based himself in Monaco, a relocation choice shared by many top motorsport competitors across multiple disciplines, partly for tax reasons and partly for the principality's central location and established motorsport community.

Unlike many of his European-based rivals, Spencer built his career from and ultimately returned to Shreveport, the same Louisiana city where he grew up racing motocross and short-track machines as a child.

Like most South American drivers who reach the European racing ladder, Bortoleto relocated well before his F1 career began. Monaco was his chosen base — the same choice as many on the current grid. For a teenager from São Paulo, the adjustment to Monégasque life — the scale, the wealth, the geographical compression — is a significant cultural shift that he navigated as part of a generation of young drivers for whom international mobility is simply a professional requirement.

Duke made his home on the Isle of Man, maintaining a lifelong connection to the island most associated with the TT races that were central to motorcycle racing during his own competitive career.

Most F1 drivers relocate to Monaco or Switzerland for tax and lifestyle reasons. Hadjar has remained based in Paris — a city with obvious appeal but not the standard F1 driver's choice of residence. Whether this changes as his career and earnings develop is an open question, but at the outset of his F1 career, Paris is home.

Jack Doohan grew up in Monaco, where his father settled after his racing career. This means he shares with Charles Leclerc the distinction of having grown up in the principality where one of F1's most iconic races takes place. Unlike Leclerc, however, Doohan did not grow up with a particularly strong Monégasque identity — his identity is Australian, and he races under the Australian flag.

Like a number of his competitors, Miller has based himself in Andorra, the small principality between France and Spain that has become a popular relocation choice among professional motorsport competitors for tax and lifestyle reasons.

Hunt spent part of his career and immediate post-career period in Spain, before returning to London in the 1980s. His death in 1993 at the age of 45 from a heart attack shocked the motorsport world. He had, by many accounts, turned his life around in his final years — quieter, happier, and devoted to his two children and his friends. He was buried at St James's Church in Marlborough.

Button moved to Los Angeles, where he has invested in property and pursued media opportunities. He has presented motorsport coverage in the US and worked in TV commentary. LA suited him — he's spoken about enjoying the lifestyle, the weather, and the culture in a way that suggests the move was motivated by genuine affinity rather than just business. He races in sports car events in the USA when opportunities arise.

Where several of his contemporaries gravitated toward London society, nightclubs, and the glamorous image increasingly associated with Formula 1 in the 1960s, Clark consistently preferred the quiet of the Scottish Borders. He made the long journey back to the farm whenever his racing schedule allowed, and colleagues frequently noted the contrast between Clark at a factory reception in London and Clark at home, where he seemed an entirely more settled and genuine version of himself.

Unlike the mainland Spanish racing hubs that have produced many of the sport's Spanish stars, Mir grew up on the island of Mallorca, a less typical background for a top-level Grand Prix rider from Spain.

Like a number of his contemporaries, Rindt made his home in Switzerland, drawn by the country's favourable tax environment and its established community of motorsport professionals. This pattern of European racing drivers relocating to Switzerland or Monaco for financial and lifestyle reasons was already well established by the late 1960s and has continued among top drivers in the decades since.

Zarco has remained closely tied to the Côte d'Azur region of southern France throughout his career, a contrast to many riders on the grid who relocate to Spain or Andorra.

Lorenzo based himself in Switzerland during much of his competitive career, a relocation choice shared by a number of other top Grand Prix riders, partly for the country's tax treatment and partly for its central European location and lifestyle appeal.

Martín's rise adds to a long list of successful Spanish riders across MotoGP's modern era, following in the tradition established by Ángel Nieto and Álex Crivillé decades earlier.

Despite being one of the most famous athletes in the world during his career, Fangio returned to Argentina after retiring and lived a relatively unpretentious life in Buenos Aires and his hometown of Balcarce. He ran a Mercedes-Benz dealership for many years. The contrast between his global status and his personal modesty is frequently noted by biographers.

Like a large number of his fellow drivers both during and after their careers, Rosberg made his home in Monaco, the principality long favoured by the sport's elite for its combination of tax advantages, security, and proximity to the wider European racing and business world. His son Nico also spent time based there during his own career, continuing a tradition common across generations of Formula 1 drivers.

Roberts moved to Hana, on Maui's remote eastern coast, a striking contrast to both his working-class Californian upbringing and the European Grand Prix paddock where he spent most of his career.

Schwantz continues to make regular appearances at Grand Prix events, including at circuits named partly in recognition of American racing history, maintaining an active, visible connection to the sport decades after his own championship-winning career ended.

Räikkönen is among the many F1 drivers who chose Swiss residency. He lives in Baar in the canton of Zug, one of Switzerland's lowest-tax cantons. He has never discussed his financial arrangements publicly, which is consistent with his broader communication philosophy of not discussing anything publicly.

Stroll's upbringing split between Montreal and the family's European bases, particularly Geneva. This international childhood — private schools, multiple languages, multiple countries — shaped a perspective on the world that is genuinely multinational rather than simply 'rich kid who travels'. He speaks English and French fluently.

Pukekohe, where Lawson grew up, hosted the New Zealand Grand Prix at its circuit from 1963 to 2000. The town of around 30,000 people has motorsport in its DNA — the circuit sits on the edge of town and local schoolchildren could hear the engines from their classrooms. Growing up in that environment, surrounded by motorsport history, shaped Lawson's ambitions from a very young age.

Viñales is based in Roses, on Spain's Costa Brava, not far from Figueres where he was born, staying rooted in the same Catalan region that has produced several of the sport's leading Spanish riders.

Unlike many of his rivals who relocated across Europe, Biaggi stayed closely tied to Rome, where he grew up and continued to be based through his racing career.

Mansell relocated to the Isle of Man — a self-governing Crown dependency with its own tax system and famous for the TT motorcycle races — and has lived there for many years. He has spoken about the island as a genuinely beautiful place with a strong community, not just a tax arrangement. He is a prominent figure in Island life.

Hill made his home in Santa Monica, California, remaining close to the vintage and classic automobile community that increasingly defined his post-racing life. Southern California's deep car culture suited him well, giving him easy access to the collectors, restorers, and historic vehicles that occupied much of his time and attention after he stopped competing professionally.

Read made his home on the Isle of Man, maintaining a close connection to the event that had been such a significant part of his career for decades afterward.

Espargaró is based in Andorra, following the same pattern as numerous other Spanish MotoGP riders drawn to the small Pyrenean principality.

Mamola settled back in his native California after retiring, in Encinitas, a contrast to the European racing circuits where he spent almost his entire competitive career.

Gibernau stayed closely tied to his native Barcelona, part of a strong tradition of Catalan and broader Spanish riders who have shaped the sport's recent decades.

Unlike several of his European-based rivals, Gardner based himself back in Australia for the second half of his career and after retirement, remaining a visible figure in Australian motorsport media and events.

Most F1 drivers choose Monaco or Switzerland as their European base. Tsunoda chose Faenza — the small northern Italian city where the AlphaTauri/RB factory is located — to minimise travel time to the team and maximise time working with engineers. The decision reflects his commitment to technical development over lifestyle considerations. Faenza is a pleasant enough place with excellent food, but it is not the obvious choice for a young professional racing driver.

Zhou made the move to Monaco that is standard for Formula 1 drivers once their earnings reach a certain level — the combination of tax advantages, logistics, and community made it the obvious choice. His Shanghai upbringing gives him a bicultural perspective that he has spoken about in terms of managing two very different contexts: the European international world of Formula 1 and the Chinese cultural environment he grew up in.