Lewis Hamilton's tax defence after backlash from likes of Tyson Fury for Monaco move

Lewis Hamilton once unleashed a fiery rebuttal against critics of his relocation to Monaco, with even former heavyweight boxing star taking an aim at the icon's tax practices. This weekend, the spotlight shines on Monaco again as it gets ready for the world-famous Grand Prix.

For this year's legendary race, will don the red of Ferrari, but the track and area are not unfamiliar to him. The record-equalling seven-time World Champion initially moved from the UK to Luins Vaud in Switzerland back in 2007. Later, in 2010, he made a switch to , citing reasons such as privacy and taxation for both his relocations.

Hamilton faced severe criticism for allegedly not paying taxes in the UK because his residence was primarily in Monaco. Nevertheless, he has staunchly defended his position in the past.

"What people don't realise is that I pay tax here [in the UK], but I don't earn all my money here," Hamilton said to The Sunday Times in 2014.

"I race in 19 different countries, so I earn my money in 20 different places and I pay tax in several different places, and I pay a lot here as well. I am contributing to the country and, not only that, I help keep a team of more than 1,000 people employed."

However, despite his justification, Fury remained sceptical. In 2021, the iconic boxer said: "Unlike Lewis Hamilton, I live and pay taxes which went up to £9million last year."

Despite the swipe taken at Hamilton, official HMRC figures released in 2019 labelled him as one of the UK's top 5,000 tax contributors - even though he's lived overseas for much of his racing career.

Monaco is a favoured domicile for many F1 stars because it offers its residents no personal income tax, a point that draws criticism from some who view it as a form of tax dodging.

Hamilton calls a spectacular £11.8m manor in Monaco home, where he mingles with fellow racers like Alex Albon, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Nico Hulkenberg and Lando Norris, all of whom are said to own homes in the affluent principality.

McLaren star Norris made no bones about his move to Monaco in 2021 being financially motivated. "I'm moving to Monaco after [the final race in] Abu Dhabi for the reasons you probably expect," he said.

"It's something that obviously a lot of drivers go to do. Of course I'll understand and there's going to be some [criticism] for sure. People do many things in life for money. This is just another one."

Nevertheless, controversy aside, the spotlight remains firmly on Hamilton heading into this weekend's action. With the Brit jetting into Monte Carlo off the back of securing his best Grand Prix finish in a Ferrari yet, with a fourth-place achievement in Imola, Italy, all eyes will certainly be on him.

"I don't know if I'll sleep tonight, I'm really, really buzzing and really excited," he said. Reflecting on his impressive performance in Imola, he added: "We've definitely taken on the positives from it. There's still a lot to digest - it's only been a few days, obviously."