Fourteen of Formula One’s 22 drivers currently call Monaco home. The appeal is no accident — the principality’s zero-income-tax regime, Mediterranean climate, and proximity to Nice Airport have made it the sport’s unofficial capital for decades. But the full picture is considerably more nuanced.
14 |
3 |
5 |
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Drivers in Monaco |
French exceptions |
Alternative bases |
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Why Monaco? The Financial Logic
For non-French nationals, residency in Monaco eliminates income tax entirely. Max Verstappen moved the day after turning 18. Lando Norris followed in 2022. Oscar Piastri made the transition in 2024. The pattern is consistent: arrive at the grid, assess the calendar, and relocate to the principality at the earliest opportunity.
The Monaco Residents: Who Lives Where
Lewis Hamilton has anchored himself to Fontvieille since 2012, though properties in New York, London, Los Angeles, and now Milan place Monaco as base rather than sole home. Charles Leclerc never left — the only Monegasque on the grid, born and raised in the principality. Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman represent the newest arrivals, both under 24 and already integrated into the grid’s tightest community.
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Hamilton, Verstappen, Leclerc Fontvieille, Monaco |
Gasly Milan, Italy |
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Antonelli San Marino |
Ocon, L. Stroll Geneva, Switzerland |
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Pérez Guadalajara, Mexico |
Lindblad Surrey, England |
The French Exception — Why Three Drivers Avoid Monaco
Under a 1963 bilateral tax treaty, French nationals remain liable for income tax in France regardless of Monaco residency. The principality’s famous zero-tax environment simply does not apply to them. Pierre Gasly has built his life in Milan since 2017. Esteban Ocon settled in Geneva. Isack Hadjar, newly promoted to Red Bull, remains effectively Paris-based. For all three, the financial case for Monaco does not exist.
The Quiet Outliers: Antonelli, Pérez, and Lindblad
Kimi Antonelli’s choice of San Marino — a landlocked republic with territorial taxation — offers near-identical fiscal benefits to Monaco without the tourist season or supercar photographers. Sergio Pérez has never relocated from Guadalajara, returning to his wife and four children between every race weekend. Arvid Lindblad, at 18 the grid’s only teenager, remains in Surrey — the sole driver still based where he started.
▶ Watch: The Full 2026 F1 Driver Residence Report — Our complete breakdown of where every driver lives and why →
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