'Welcome to paradise': Inside F1 star's incredible new Australian home, where you can stay too

Bottas in Cadillac F1 Tommy Hilfiger kit with translucent Aussie flag and palm trees and sunny Albert Park circuit in the background — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Drivers

'Welcome to paradise': Inside F1 star's incredible new Australian home, where you can stay too

You too can enjoy the luxurious life of an F1 star

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 7 April 2026 22:40

Ah, the life of a Formula 1 driver. Yes they have to put up with a jam-packed racing calendar and barely get to spend a moment at home to relax in between races, but when they do, boy can they relax.

The thing about F1 is that it does demand a lot from its athletes; a gruelling training schedule, sacrifices in their personal lives and often being forced to move away from home as a child to pursue their lofty dreams.

But if they make it, there is often an eye-watering salary on offer. A salary such as the cool $5 million base pay that has been reported as the financial reward for Valtteri Bottas' full-time return to the grid with Cadillac.

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So what does a pay package like that get you? Well Bottas has kindly offered fans the chance to not just take a look around his new home, but the opportunity to stay there.

The honorary Aussie and his actual Aussie girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell have purchased The Vineyard in McLaren Vale, a luxury retreat property in the wine region in South Australia.

Better yet, the couple have now opened up the vast retreat experience to guests, so whether you're looking to actually book a relaxing Australian getaway or you're simply just a nosey F1 fan, here's everything you need to know about Bottas' new Australian home.

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Inside Valtteri Bottas' Australian retreat stay

Papaya fans, don't be fooled, though 'McLaren Vale' may suggest a McLaren Racing experience, there is nothing about this property related to the F1 squad but the name.

Bottas himself describes his new South Australian base as 'paradise', with the wine vineyard property offering a relaxing stay just 15-20 minutes away from the beachfront, boasting sauna views that cannot be rivalled.

In a post on Facebook, the Cadillac recruit and ex-Mercedes F1 driver showed off his new pad with drone shots and a welcome video, where he and pro cycling star Cromwell welcomed anybody who fancies booking a stay.

Want an even more in depth look into the property? Bottas recently showed the Sky Sports cameras and F1 presenter Rachel Brookes around his new home, and after finally remembering the code to the guest house, gave them a whistle-stop tour of what is on offer when you book a stay.

During the visit, Bottas said: "You can have anything you want, including my wine. We have local eggs, bacon, soft drinks, some more wine," and in case that wasn't reason enough to book, there's always the chance that you might get to meet the 10-time grand prix winner in person.

"I've met a few [guests]," Bottas told Brookes.

"There was actually two ladies. They were British. They do like a wine blog or something or travel blog. They were quite funny. I met them, I carried their bags when they checked out!"

The prices, how much does it cost to stay at chez Bottas?

Should you wish to live like Valtteri and stay at McLaren Vale, the first decision you will need to make is whether you want to book on Main Street or at The Vineyard.

Main Street offers two types of accommodation in the village of McLaren Flat, located off the vineyard, The Catalina guest house or The Hermosa.

The cost of staying at The Catalina starts at $395AUD per night (around £206 for an overnight trip) and offers a one bedroom, king bed option for two people.

The Hermosa offers similar amenities and also starts at $395 AUD for a single night, with a king bed and a private deck and veranda for up to two guests to enjoy. Quite a reasonable price if you take into account the slim chance that you might get to meet the charismatic F1 star.

But a stay at The Vineyard is where things start to get pricey.

There are six different property types to choose from, ranging from a one-bed Cadole for $655AUD/night (£342), to a guest house with two king bedrooms, a fully functioning cooking and dining area, bathroom and complimentary mini bar that will set you back $955AUD/night (around £500).

The priciest options include The Manhattan and The Highland guest houses, but both of those properties can be split between a maximum of four people, lowering the cost pretty significantly.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

View full biography

F1 Cadillac Valtteri Bottas