When Formula 1 drivers aren’t competing on world-famous tracks in the fastest vehicles on earth, they still travel by car to see friends and run the same errands as everyone else. So, what cars do they choose when racing is their full-time job? Here are the everyday cars of F1 drivers.
Max Verstappen
Before Verstappen became one of the world’s best professional race car drivers, his parents gave him a Renault Clio at age 17. He has upgraded his daily drivers significantly since his youth, which comes along with earning a reported $75 million in salary and performance bonuses in 2024 alone. Verstappen now has a stable full of horsepower, including the first vehicle he reportedly purchased with his earnings, a Porsche 911 GTS RS.
As he won more races, Verstappen made more investments. He also is believed to have spent more than $2 million on an Aston Martin Valkyrie powered by the 6.5-liter Cosworth V12 engine, designed beautifully by Adrian Newey, who also helped make the F1 vehicles that drove Verstappen to victory. Much like gamblers depend on trusted websites to discover fast payout casinos experts trust, Verstappen relies on Newey to make outstanding vehicles.
While Verstappen is a fierce rival of Italian automaker Ferrari on the track, that doesn’t stop him from enjoying their performance. He now owns a Ferrari Monza SP2, which features around 800 horsepower and an open-cockpit style that resembles the feeling of driving a Formula 1 car.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton, who has earned similar success to Verstappen, previously drove his share of high-end vehicles, including a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 and a Ferrari LaFerrari, among many others. Earlier in 2024, Hamilton announced he would no longer drive his collection of gas-powered cars, citing environmental concerns. He intends to keep his gas-powered vehicles for now, but his new electric fleet includes a Mercedes-Benz EQC and a humbler Smart EQ Fortwo.
Hamilton also laments that many modern cars look and feel the same, without the same emotion and energy as classics like his Shelby Cobra. Lewis reports that the last vehicle he purchased was a Mercedes Project One hypercar, a limited-edition vehicle that combines an F1 engine and an electric motor in a street-legal vehicle. That sounds like a fun drive.
Sergio Perez
As a dad of three, Perez and his family have a slightly different preference for being out and about. Perez reportedly drives a BMW X7 when toting the family around, which is still a very nice family vehicle. He can’t put car seats in the back of a Bugatti Chiron, though. And the kids wouldn’t yet appreciate his McLaren 720S, which can do 0-60 in 2.8 seconds.
Much like teammate Max Verstappen, Perez owns a vehicle made by a rival. In this case, Perez owns a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT. The AMG GT is still a head-turner, and enthusiasts will surely recognize the $100,000-plus vehicle out and about, but it’s more subtle than Verstappen’s Valkyrie.
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso joined the Aston Martin team in 2022. Previously, he wasn’t considered a car collector, but Aston Martin may have changed that by providing him with a new DBX SUV. He only upgraded more from there, joining Verstappen with a Valkyrie of his own. Alonso has also shown interest in hybrids and bought one of 317 McLaren P1s, which has an 8-cylinder engine and an electric motor.
He added a Ferrari LaFerrari, considered Ferrari’s most luxurious vehicle, to his garage. It sells retail for north of $1,000,000 and often fetches more than that from auctions. While he might not have a vast collection of vehicles, he certainly has excellent taste.
Carlos Sainz
Sainz has earned an impressive $50 million throughout his career. For the first several years as a race driver, he drove the Volkswagen Golf GTI his parents gave him when he turned 18. To be fair, the GTI is a decent vehicle for a commuter, but Sainz finally upgraded in 2023 when he bought a Ferrari 812 Competizione, which has an MSRP of above $400,000. He waited a while to upgrade the GTI, not because of money but reportedly because, as a race driver, he regularly pilots the fastest vehicles in the world and wasn’t very impressed by anything besides the Ferrari.
Daniel Ricciardo
Ricciardo was born in Australia, and many of his personal vehicle preferences reflect the land down under. He drives a Toyota HiLux pickup truck, which has earned a global reputation for off-roading and toughness. In addition to his HiLux, he also has a Nissan Patrol, a higher-end SUV not sold in the United States. However, considering his total F1 earnings have crossed the $100M mark, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Ricciardo also has some more expensive tastes, including a Porsche 918 Spyder, a McLaren 675LT, and an Aston Martin Vantage, among others.
Conclusion
The world’s fastest race car drivers prefer luxury and speed when choosing their everyday vehicles. A fast, comfortable vehicle is a well-earned reward after enduring grueling performances in Formula 1 cars, which prioritize speed and handling over comfort during races.