Even before becoming teammates at Williams, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz shared past connections. They were both part of Red Bull’s academy, which means they must have had interactions as they climbed up the ladder. But more importantly, they were direct neighbors in Monaco.
Albon had previously revealed that Sainz lived in an apartment right across the hall from his in the Principality. “My door was directly opposite his door,” Albon reminded on The Fast and the Curious podcast when asked about the Spaniard.
Unfortunately, they aren’t neighbors any longer.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Albon has chosen to stay where he has been for years in Monaco, but Sainz has moved out.
“He has moved now, by the way. He’s gone. He has gone on to [a] bigger and better place,” the #23 driver added.
But, Sainz — with a reported net worth of $47 million — could surely have afforded a better place while he was with Ferrari itself. Why did he choose an apartment close to Albon which wasn’t that big? “Because there are not that much apartment options in Monaco,” Albon answered, suggesting that they were neighbors out of compulsion in the first place.
Alex Carlos
The future teammates are already next-door neighbors! #F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/TuBYMn2exU
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2024
This isn’t surprising. While F1 drivers move to Monaco for its central location and tax benefits, real estate prices in the tiny nation are sky-high.
Drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, with salaries exceeding $50 million a year, can afford any property in Monaco with ease. However, Albon and Sainz, who reportedly earned $8 million and $10 million respectively, may have had a tighter budget.
Still, they would have spent enough to secure a comfortable place to live.
As for being neighbors, they may not run into each other in the hallway anymore, but they’ll be seeing plenty of each other on track.
Albon and Sainz’s bond may strengthen
Albon also shared a few anecdotes about Sainz as a neighbor. “Fine, quiet, respectful,” he told the media last year in Baku. While they’ll be interacting extensively as teammates at Williams, many will be keen to see how their off-track personalities blend.
When Christian Hewgill and Betty Glover asked him to reveal more about Sainz, Albon accidentally mentioned knowing the Spaniard’s food delivery order. Hewgill pressed him for more details.
The 28-year-old revealed that Sainz often orders sushi and even caviar. Thanks to his time at Ferrari, the Madrid-born driver naturally enjoys a lot of pasta, which Albon confirmed.
Albon also joked that Sainz’s girlfriend, Rebecca Donaldson, is quite the cook, so the 30-year-old’s habit of ordering takeout may have decreased lately.
