Before the engines fire and the grandstands fill, F1 drivers often step away from the noise. For some, that means retreating to the sea, where the pace of life slows and craftsmanship takes a different form. The yacht has become more than a symbol of leisure. It is a place where drivers reconnect with balance before returning to the pressures of the grid.
Charles Leclerc’s recent escape to the Mediterranean illustrates this well. The Ferrari driver was seen aboard a Riva, a brand steeped in Italian elegance and history. Leclerc is no stranger to the shipyard’s creations. He has owned a Dolceriva since 2020, naming it Monza after the track that cemented his place in Ferrari folklore. His connection with Riva goes deeper than ownership. The marque sponsored Ferrari for nearly a decade, and its values of refinement, heritage, and performance align seamlessly with the Scuderia’s. It is fitting that Leclerc, who grew up overlooking Monaco’s harbor, chooses the water as his reset between races.
He is not alone. George Russell has been spotted cruising on a Pershing, his taste leaning toward contemporary Italian design with sharper edges and high performance at sea. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, favors a Mangusta GranSport, designed for both speed and long-distance comfort. Each choice reflects personality as much as lifestyle. Where Leclerc finds elegance, Russell leans into performance, and Verstappen invests in space for family.
Max Verstappen likewise checked in from the water, posting family time aboard a yacht. Earlier this year he took delivery of a Mangusta GranSport 33 reportedly priced around $15 million and named Unleash the Lion. The 108-foot model is a collaboration between designer Alberto Mancini and Overmarine’s technical teams. It can reach 26 knots yet is set up for range, with the sort of interior volume and outdoor decks that turn a weekend into a proper interval.
These vessels are not distractions from racing but extensions of the same appreciation for engineering and design that draws drivers to Formula 1 in the first place. A yacht, like a race car, is a machine shaped by precision. It moves with power but also demands a sense of control and respect. For the drivers, stepping aboard is not simply indulgence. It is a reminder of the finer things that balance the intensity of their careers.
Formula 1 has always existed at the intersection of performance and luxury. The sight of its drivers retreating to the sea only reinforces that connection. On the water, they find a rhythm slower than racing yet equally tied to craft. When they return to the circuit, it is with a clarity only the open sea can provide.
Read more about yachts here.
