Kimi Antonelli is not currently planning to move to Monaco, according to his father Marco Antonelli, despite Prince Albert II recently suggesting that the Mercedes driver was considering relocating to the Principality. The Formula 1 championship leader will remain in San Marino, where he has lived since 2024 and where his family has established strong personal and business ties.
The speculation has nevertheless drawn attention to the financial advantages available to leading athletes in both Monaco and San Marino. Antonelli already benefits from a favourable tax regime in the latter, where his annual substitute tax is capped at €100,000, reducing one of the obvious incentives for relocating to the Principality.
Kimi Antonelli’s father rules out Monaco move for now
The possibility of Kimi Antonelli moving to Monaco remains only a hypothetical scenario for the time being.
Marco Antonelli rejected suggestions that his son is preparing to relocate, responding to comments from Prince Albert II that had brought the subject into the spotlight only days earlier.
“We’re happy where we are and at the moment we don’t need to change,” Marco Antonelli told Il Resto del Carlino.
He also said he did not know where the rumours had originated. Marco Antonelli has lived in San Marino for seven years, while his son later joined him because he had always liked the country.
Prince Albert II said Antonelli was considering Monaco
The story began on 1 October following an interview Prince Albert II gave to Corriere della Sera ahead of Italian President Sergio Mattarella’s state visit to Monaco.
Discussing Italian sports stars who have chosen to live in the Principality, with tennis player Jannik Sinner among the most prominent examples, Prince Albert II made a comment that quickly attracted attention.
“Kimi Antonelli is also thinking about moving to Monaco,” Prince Albert II said.
The Monaco sovereign subsequently explained what he believes attracts elite athletes to the Principality. Financial considerations play a role, but he also highlighted quality of life, climate and, particularly, security.
Those comments were enough for speculation surrounding Antonelli’s future residence to spread quickly, causing concern among many of the supporters he has developed in San Marino.
San Marino responds to speculation over its F1 star
The first response came from the San Marino government even before the Antonelli family publicly addressed the matter.
Rossano Fabbri, San Marino’s Secretary of State for Sport, firmly rejected suggestions that a departure had already been decided.
“At the moment, I’m not aware of any decision by Antonelli to leave us,” Rossano Fabbri said.
Rossano Fabbri acknowledged that financial and tax considerations can influence such decisions, but argued that the Mercedes driver’s relationship with San Marino extends much further than economics.
The connection is primarily a family one. Marco Antonelli runs Antonelli Motorsport in San Marino, while AKM Motorsport, the team competing in Italian Formula 4, is also based there.
Kimi Antonelli himself had recently told an audience at Sport in Fiera that he is very comfortable in San Marino. The 20-year-old from Bologna described it as a peaceful environment that he appreciates increasingly and which is also helping him achieve results on the track.
Those results have already produced a remarkable 2026 campaign, with Kimi Antonelli adding significant milestones during his title challenge.
Why San Marino wants Kimi Antonelli to stay
Rossano Fabbri considers Antonelli an important presence for San Marino, both because of his sporting value and the international visibility he brings to the country.
The government intends to continue improving public services, infrastructure and sporting facilities in an effort to remain attractive to people who have the freedom to choose where they live.
There has meanwhile been no response from Monaco to the Antonelli family’s denial.
What a move to Monaco would mean for Antonelli’s taxes
Taxation inevitably remains part of the discussion because it has helped make Monaco home to numerous Formula 1 drivers and other leading sports figures.
In San Marino, Kimi Antonelli is registered as an atypical resident under a preferential tax regime available to people who earn income abroad.
The substitute tax rate is 7%, with one particularly significant provision: the annual payment cannot fall below €10,000 and cannot exceed €100,000.
Monaco would offer an even more favourable arrangement from a pure income-tax perspective, as residents generally pay no personal income tax, with French citizens being the principal exception.
However, the comparison is between two already highly favourable tax systems. For someone whose annual tax liability is already capped at €100,000, the financial motivation to relocate is smaller than it would be for many other high earners.
Antonelli’s home, friends and family businesses are also all based in San Marino, further strengthening the case for remaining there.
Kimi Antonelli’s focus remains on the Formula 1 title
For the Mercedes driver himself, there are more immediate priorities. Antonelli arrives in Singapore holding an 84-point advantage over George Russell with seven Grands Prix remaining.
His team-mate will also start from the back of the grid following a power-unit change, adding another potentially important element to a title fight in which George Russell had already acknowledged the growing championship gap.
Calculations over when Antonelli could mathematically secure the championship have already begun, with a first potential match point possibly arriving in Austin. The latest positions can also be followed through the Formula 1 driver standings.
Before then, Singapore provides the next major step, with the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix Sprint weekend offering additional championship points.
The Antonelli family has only addressed the present and has made no promises about what could happen further into the future. For now, however, a move to Monaco is not on the agenda. The next time Kimi Antonelli is expected in the Principality will instead be for the Monaco Grand Prix, when he will arrive as a visitor rather than a resident.
Leave a Reply