Italian tax authorities tar F1 drivers in clampdown after Monza and Imola races

Updated: 15:24, 21 Apr

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The Guardia di Finanza, the Italian financial police, has launched administrative inspections into tax evasion by Formula 1 teams based outside Italy, GPblog can confirm.

The Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino reported that the Italian tax authorities had launched an offensive that could have major consequences for Formula 1. Authorities are trying to retroactively collect taxes on income earned during races on Italian soil.

GPblog has made inquiries and understands that only administrative inspections have been initiated at this time and that no criminal investigation is underway yet.

It is somewhat unclear whether the drivers are being investigated or only the teams. In principle, the drivers are under contract with an employer, but foreign athletes are considered “freelancers” in Italy.

The team is then obliged to withhold part of the driver’s salary and pay it directly to the Italian tax authorities on the driver’s behalf. Assuming the latter, it appears that the responsibility therefore lies with the teams, except for Ferrari and Racing Bulls, which are based in Italy.

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Italian lawyer called for a thorough investigation

Italian lawyer Alessandro Mei has called for a thorough investigation into the tax status of foreign athletes, telling Il Resto del Carlino: “It is not up for debate that athletes who earn income in Italy, even if they do not live in Italy, must declare it in Italy and pay taxes here.”

“I’m not doing this for personal gain, but out of a sense of responsibility, given the millions of dollars in tax evasion that could potentially be uncovered,” said Mei. Last Monday, Mei also filed a similar report regarding the Formula E races in Rome.

If teams are found guilty of tax evasion, there could be consequences with a hefty price tag. Article 10 of Legislative Decree No. 74/2000 states that failure to pay taxes above €50,000 may constitute a criminal offence, in addition to administrative sanctions and the recovery of amounts due.

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Grands Prix on three Italian circuits

Over the past six years, Italy has hosted multiple Grands Prix at Mugello, Imola, and Monza.

Currently, only Monza remains on the Formula 1 calendar, but calculations for all Grands Prix in recent years could still lead to a substantial financial dossier.

Pos.	Driver	Team	Points
1	Kimi Antonelli Kimi Antonelli	MercedesMER	72
2	George Russell George Russell	MercedesMER	63
3	Charles Leclerc Charles Leclerc	FerrariFER	49
4	Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton	FerrariFER	41
5	Lando Norris Lando Norris	McLarenMCL	25
6	Oscar Piastri Oscar Piastri	McLarenMCL	21
7	Oliver Bearman Oliver Bearman	HaasHAA	17
8	Pierre Gasly Pierre Gasly	AlpineALP	15
9	Max Verstappen Max Verstappen	Red Bull RacingRBR	12
10	Liam Lawson Liam Lawson	Racing BullsRCB	10
11	Arvid Lindblad Arvid Lindblad	Racing BullsRCB	4
12	Isack Hadjar Isack Hadjar	Red Bull RacingRBR	4
13	Gabriel Bortoleto Gabriel Bortoleto	AudiAUD	2
14	Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz	WilliamsWIL	2
15	Esteban Ocon Esteban Ocon	HaasHAA	1
16	Franco Colapinto Franco Colapinto	AlpineALP	1
17	Nico Hulkenberg Nico Hulkenberg	AudiAUD	0
18	Alexander Albon Alexander Albon	WilliamsWIL	0
19	Valtteri Bottas Valtteri Bottas	CadillacCAD	0
20	Sergio Perez Sergio Perez	CadillacCAD	0
21	Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso	Aston MartinAST	0
22	Lance Stroll Lance Stroll	Aston MartinAST	0

Italian tax authorities tar F1 drivers in clampdown after Monza and Imola races

Italian lawyer called for a thorough investigation

Grands Prix on three Italian circuits

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