Max Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen has hit out at claims that the reigning World Champion is ‘avoiding tax’ by residing in Monte-Carlo, a place where several drivers on the current grid regard as ‘home’.
De Volkskrant have remarkably claimed that the Dutch government will lose somewhere around €200 million, should Verstappen continue to live in Monaco until 2028.
Given that his current Red Bull contract expires at the end of 2028, the likelihood is that he will remain in the glitz and glamour of Monaco for several years to come.
The Dutch newspaper were quick to admit that they were suggesting that Verstappen was avoiding tax rather than the charge of illegal tax evasion, an accusation which would be incredibly dangerous to make.
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Verstappen’s manager though, has hit out at the newspaper and has stated that the driver and his team have done nothing wrong.
Vermeulen has insisted that the two-time World Champion pays his taxes in multiple countries, with him correctly following several legislations “in all forms and sizes”.
“It is factually incorrect what is written by De Volkskrant,” Vermeulen told Dutch programme Jinek.
“We dutifully pay taxes on the sports performances we deliver in the Netherlands, such as the income earned during the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
“We also pay taxes in other countries where he generates income as a sportsman. Furthermore, we have no activities in the Netherlands. So why should we pay taxes on foreign income there? It would be strange to pay double, these are the international rules.
“People can have moral opinions everywhere, but ultimately it is simply the legal and fiscal (international) legislations, and we adhere to them in all forms and sizes.”
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Verstappen currently leads the Drivers’ Championship by 53 points ahead of next weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, following his fifth win of the season last weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix.
His win last Sunday was the 40th of his Formula 1 career, whilst it was also his third at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Verstappen completed the Grand Slam in Spain after he topped every single session, before leading every lap and claiming the fastest lap of the race.