F1 star reveals why drivers don't want to race in Italy finale

Bottas being interviewed — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 star reveals why drivers don't want to race in Italy finale

Everything comes back to money

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Thursday 1 October 2026 15:02

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Valtteri Bottas has raised an unusual reason that some F1 drivers might not be fans of the last race of the 2027 season being held at Imola.

There are some sporting reasons for concern – the weather is unlikely to be especially conducive to racing, both with an increased likelihood of rain and the low temperatures – but Bottas' added another potential issue to the list.

That issue is one of tax. Foreign athletes are considered to be freelancers in Italy, whether they're contracted to their teams or not, with the team then obliged to hold back part of the drivers' salaries and pay them to Italian tax authorities.

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It has been reported that drivers were sent a letter earlier this year reviewing those tax payments over the last seven years, asking them to pick up at least half the tab on any tax which has not been collected.

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Bottas: No driver wants to race in Italy

Bottas said ahead of this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia that 'no driver' wants to race in Italy if they can avoid it, admitting that he'd very much prefer the last race of the year go ahead in Abu Dhabi.

Of course, this weekend's race is being held months later and 6,000km away from its originally scheduled date and venue for precisely the same ongoing unrest in the Middle East that means Abu Dhabi may not be on the table in two months time.

Bottas said: "Not a big fan because, yeah, I've heard about the the weather normally around that time of the year. The fog in the mornings, the early early sunset temperature. And, also, I don't know if you've heard about the Italian tax? No driver wants to really race in Italy because of recent events, what happened."

He did, however, say that he would be happy to go to Imola if that was the sport's decision, saying: "I think if F1 goes, then yes. I don't think Formula 1 would take the risk for all the people here. And so, yeah, if it's a go, then that's okay."

For all that, though, he added: "Well, yeah, Abu Dhabi, there's no tax. Right? I think everyone would like to race somewhere warmer. But for now, what I've heard, we're still going to Qatar in Abu Dhabi."

Verstappen: There is no tax issue

The question came up for Max Verstappen, Ollie Bearman and Nico Hulkenberg at Thursday's FIA drivers' press conference, with the drivers being asked for their thoughts on a potential Imola switch considering the likely conditions, as well as the tax concerns.

Bearman answered first, saying: The tax complication is a bit less relevant to me than some of the others, but no, I think we should bring the snow chains and the hand warmers.

"Yeah, let’s see how it goes, but it will definitely be cold if we’re in Imola in December. I was living close by for a good few years and in winter it’s definitely cold. You know about it. Verstappen went on to brush off the tax concerns raised by Bottas, adding: "There are worse places to be in the wintertime than in Imola. So, yeah, it’s a little bit colder than in the summer, it gets darker a bit sooner, but I think we’re all clever enough to make sure that we don’t drive in the dark. And there is no tax issue. You just have to pay tax."

Hulkenberg was a little less forthcoming, simply saying that his points had 'all been said' by the other two drivers.