Bottas said drivers preferred Abu Dhabi finish amid Italy tax probe
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 2, 2026
Bottas on Italy
Valtteri Bottas said Formula 1 drivers would rather finish the season in Abu Dhabi than Italy because of concerns tied to Italian tax rules, and he made clear he would take a move to Imola only if Formula 1 judged it safe. The Finnish driver said an Imola finale would bring fog, early sunsets and low temperatures, a combination he saw as less appealing than a season end in the Middle East. His comments landed as drivers continued to deal with questions about whether they owed tax in Italy on income earned there. Bottas said the uncertainty had stretched across years, with drivers asked for seven or eight years of bank statements and contracts even though they had previously been told they did not need to file anything in Italy. That backdrop had turned a calendar decision into more than a simple venue swap. It had raised concerns about paperwork, obligations and where the sport should close its year.
Drivers and taxes
The tax probe had drawn a range of reactions inside the paddock. Drivers were reportedly sent letters by Italy’s Guardia di Finanza asking them to file returns on income earned in Italy, and Italian authorities had been seeking unpaid taxes from drivers. Reports also said officials had asked drivers to cover at least 50% of what was not collected over the past seven years. He also pointed to the mixed messages that had surrounded the matter, with drivers saying they had earlier been told they did not need to file anything. Not every driver saw the issue the same way. Max Verstappen dismissed the tax concerns by saying drivers simply have to pay tax, a blunt view that cut against Bottas’ more cautious stance. Oliver Bearman took a different line as well, saying the tax issue mattered less to him. The split in opinion showed that drivers viewed the same probe differently.
F1 Finale Plans
Formula 1’s current plan remained to finish the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with the late races still the target if the Middle East conflict did not force changes. Formula One Management had not set a deadline for deciding whether to move the final rounds, and Imola had been mentioned as a possible replacement venue if the schedule changed. Verstappen said he would choose not to race in the Middle East amid the regional conflict and said Formula 1 should avoid places near active conflict. That view added another layer to the calendar debate, which already had to balance safety, logistics and the tax concerns raised by drivers in Italy. Sergio Perez and Bearman said a possible December race at Imola would concern them mainly because of the cold weather, which matched Bottas’ warning about late-season conditions there. The debate left Formula 1 with a familiar late-season question, whether to keep its planned finish or adjust quickly if outside pressures forced a change. For now, Qatar and Abu Dhabi stayed in place, Imola sat in reserve and the drivers continued to weigh the cost of every option.
