It doesn’t matter how little you know about Formula 1, everyone who’s ever heard of the sport knows it centres around Monaco.
Ask any driver their biggest aim for the season after winning the world championship and it’s the top step of the podium at the blue riband event in the south of France.
That’s no surprise either, as they all live there. Nearly, if not all, drivers on the grid own property in Monte-Carlo, and that’s been the case for decades.
First run in 1929, the Monaco Grand Prix track has barely changed in almost a century, with only minor tweaks to the city streets which are walking distance from the millionaires who lap them once a year.
There are many reasons to live in the principality, with the headline one being its zero per cent income tax, but there’s plenty more on top of that.
Sunshine all-year round, security guaranteed by the police force, and a ban on paparazzi, it’s the ideal place for a globe-trotting mega star to sit on their balcony and unwind.
READ MORE FORMULA 1
But in a country that’s barely bigger than Hyde Park and somewhat covered in obscurity due to its exclusivity, it’s almost a mystery how the entire F1 paddock can fit in an area you can walk across in an hour.
Well, thanks to PokerStars, who sponsor Oracle Red Bull Racing, talkSPORT was able to lift the lid on the life of F1’s elite, and how they spend their time in what has become a home from home for almost every driver to ever win a race.
Located 20 miles from the closest and only airport in Nice, arriving home in the morning after a race weekend could well be off-putting with a 40 minute taxi ride that can easily become close to two hours in traffic.
talkSPORT attended the European Poker Tour earlier this month and was able to take the taxi ride of dreams with a helicopter trip that lasts just 10 minutes.
Most read in Motorsport
It may sound extortionate, but so frequent are helicopter trips around the principality that it’s surprisingly affordable at £200, with a car journey not much less, and taking far longer.
Arriving in the morning from the airport, a driver will likely turn to brunch and a quick relax, with Sass Cafe looking out across the French Riviera a popular choice.
A rooftop bar for the day and dark interior for night, the cafe welcomes you to ‘dine, drink and dance all night long’.
Due to its prestige, it’s not just F1 drivers either, with sporting elite such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Jordan attending, while Hollywood megastars Will Smith and Sean Penn are also known to frequent the bar.
The restaurant has a menu with caviar prices that reach £1800, showing dinner isn’t for the faint of heart.
After that, though, it’s time to keep your fitness up, with drivers heading to the same spot - THIRTY NINE Fitness Club - which has already been in use by George Russell, Carlos Sainz, and Alex Albon this week.
Created by Kent-born former Rugby Union player Ross Beattie, the building doesn’t look much from the outside, but inside it’s every athlete’s dream.
Located in Larvotto where many of the drivers live, memberships can cost as much at £5000-per-year, but the quality of the facilities, dining and treatment options show why it’s a Monaco-must.
For a cool down, the Riviera is walking distance for most, with Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes boss Toto Wolff living in the country’s most exclusive apartment building.
Palais de la Plage has the beach on its doorstep and prices starting at £5.5million.
Wolff recently was named in Forbes’s list of sporting billionaires, showing just how exclusive the property is.
Where his drivers reside doesn’t quite compare, but most still live in the Larvotto area, away from where the Grand Prix is held.
There is an excuse to head to that less-exclusive area of the principality though, with the port by its side, and some of the world’s most expensive private yachts parked up for a day of relaxation - that’s if you don’t like the beach.
Superyachts come and go, but a regular standout is the gigantic Mimtee £100m boat owned by the prime minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, and it dwarfs many in the harbour.
In the evening, food options are aplenty, with the world famous Nobu Sushi one of the top attractions located at the Fairmont Hotel - and PokerStars helped talkSPORT get a taste.
Tasting menus cost £125, while premium Japanese wagyu beef steaks cost £130 alone, but with views of the Riviera, the Monaco restaurant is one of the company’s most famous.
For the night, it’s back to another exclusive club - Twiga.
It offers daytime dining, incredible sea views, and night-time parties for the country’s elite.
Read More on talkSPORT
It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside is promised to be ‘beyond your wildest dreams’ and the Africa-inspired menu and club certainly live up to that reputation, along with some of the world’s most famous DJs.
Then it's time to head home. Because after all, if you're paying for a £5m apartment, you probably want to use it.
ncG1vNJzZmiskaG4tLzOq6tnm5%2BifLS8zquraKWfqbyzv8%2Boqa1nYWl%2FdoOXcGafp6Kiwq2tjGpkpZ2nnsButMCmoKWsn6N6rq3XZq2eqqOprrG8xKdkpqeelrCwecarmKecXaW%2FqsSO