Lando Norris is hoping for another memorable F1 race at the Monaco Grand Prix, having made the city-state his home at the end of 2021 for the “reasons you’d expect”
Formula One driver Lando Norris admitted his controversial move to Monaco was for money.
The McLaren ace will only have to take a short stroll to the paddock for this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. The race at Monte Carlo comes at a time where Norris is enjoying unprecedented success.
He claimed his maiden F1 Grand Prix victory in Miami and secured a second place finish at Emilia Romagna. Those triumphs saw the 24-year-old climb up to fourth in the driver standings with 101 points, as he strives to make this season his career best.
Born in England, Norris once stated he “would not enjoy” living in Monaco. But he packed his bags and jetted off to the Principality at the end of the 2021, just before penning a jaw-dropping £80million contract with Surrey-based McLaren for four years.
Norris’ reasons for trading close proximity to his loved ones and the team’s Woking base is multifaceted. With its year-round temperate climate, location at the heart of Europe, glamorous lifestyle and English-speaking populace, Monaco certainly ticks plenty of boxes,
But the biggest reason – and one that Norris candidly admitted – was for financial gain, with Monaco being a famous tax haven where personal income tax does not exist.
F1’s golden boy risked sparking outrage with his honesty in 2021, having said: “I’m moving to Monaco after [the final race in] Abu Dhabi for the reasons you probably expect. It’s something that obviously a lot of drivers go to do and especially, with how racing is, I think we’ve seen for other drivers how quickly things can also go downhill.
“Of course I’ll understand and there’s going to be some [criticism] for sure. People do many things in life for money. This is just another one.”
The talented Brit even gave his followers a sneak peek of his luxury flat prior to its renovation on Instagram. He revealed it had a “nice view” while reassuring fans that his popular interactions with them wouldn’t change as a result of his Monaco move.
Norris joined a whole host of other F1 stars in making the semi-enclave his home, with more than half of the current grid residing there. Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hulkenberg, and Sergio Perez all reportedly enjoy in the tax benefits and glitzy lifestyle.
Norris had initially been reluctant to leave his Surrey base, saying: “There was still a lot more to gain from me and my career to being at McLaren and being able to go in whenever I wanted to.
“Whenever I had a bad weekend, I could just go in on whatever day to be on the simulator to try things, speaking to my engineers, and so on. And I love England. It’s still probably my favourite place to be.
“My family are there, my friends are there. And I think I said many times that for me, fun and enjoyment, and enjoying what I’m doing, takes priority over making these kind of decisions.
“So it’s not a not an easy decision. And it’s not something I’ve been thinking of for many years. I just feel like I’m in a comfortable place at the minute to make this decision and spend the time to move over there.”
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