In 2021, Lando Norris, the golden boy of McLaren, departed from England to live among the multitude of Formula One drivers in the opulent and tax-free Principality of Monaco.
Golden boy of Formula One Lando Norris acknowledged that money played a major role in his contentious decision to relocate to Monaco. It will only take the McLaren driver a short stroll to get to the paddock in time for this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
With his first-ever F1 Grand Prix victory in Miami and a second-place finish in the most recent race at Emilia Romagna, Norris is presently leading the world. With 101 points, that has put him in fourth place in the driver standings. His goal is to have the best season of his career.
The 24-year-old, who was born in England, previously declared he “would not enjoy” living in Monaco. However, at the conclusion of the 2021 season, he packed up and relocated to the Principality, shortly before agreeing to a lucrative four-year contract worth an eye-watering £80 million with Surrey-based McLaren.
There were several reasons why Norris chose to give up his convenient access to his team’s factory and his proximity to friends and family. Monaco has a certain charm that stems from its year-round mild climate, convenient location, glamorous and fast-paced way of life, and English-speaking population.
However, the primary motivation—which the enthusiastic driver was entirely transparent about—was financial gain, since Monaco is a well-known tax haven where citizens are exempt from paying personal income taxes.
“I’m moving to Monaco after [the final race in] Abu Dhabi for the reasons you probably expect,” he said, provoking outrage in 2021. It’s evident that many drivers engage in it, and given the nature of racing, I believe we’ve seen firsthand how rapidly things can also go wrong for other drivers.
“I’ll understand, of course, and there will undoubtedly be some criticism. In life, people often take financial gain into account. It’s just one more of these.
Prior to renovations, Norris shared a picture of his new apartment on Instagram, where he plans to move in after the 2021 season concludes. Other than saying it had a “nice view,” the British star provided no further details and emphasized that his popular interactions with fans will not change as a result of his move to Monaco.
He now lives in the Principality, along with more than half of the other F1 stars. According to reports, it’s home to Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Nico Hulkenberg, and Sergio Perez.
“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,” Norris had previously resisted the idea of leaving his Surrey base.
“I could just come in on any given day to be on the simulator and try things, talking to my engineers and so on, if I had a rough weekend. I also adore England. I think it’s still my favorite spot to be.
“My friends and family are present. I believe I’ve mentioned it before, but for me, having fun and loving what I’m doing comes before making these kinds of choices.
Thus, it’s not a simple choice. Furthermore, I haven’t been considering it for a long time. I simply think that right now, I’m in a comfortable enough place to decide and take the time to move over there.
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