'I moved to Monaco six months ago - this is how often you see F1 drivers on the street'

Formula E sensation Jake Dennis has followed his friends in Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in residing in Monaco - but he's dispelled popular thoughts on what it's really like living in the semi-enclave. Dennis - who captured the Formula E world title in 2023 with Andretti - grew up competing against some of the best Formula One has to offer, including the likes of Leclerc, George Russell, and Alex Albon.

While he's never taken to the track for an official Grand Prix, he does have a role in F1 as he's been a development and simulator driver for Red Bull since 2018. He was rewarded by being chosen in FP1 at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he finished 16th fastest.

Born and raised in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, Dennis made a decision many in his shoes have opted to make: moving to Monaco. On top of being in the heart of Europe, it's a tax haven for those wanting to avoid paying tax on personal income. The likes of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas and more all maintain homes in the micro-state and it was in late 2024 that Dennis settled in the South of France.

Speaking exclusively to Express Sport, the 29-year-old admitted there was hesitancy in leaving England for Monaco due to his prior experiences in the principality during race weekends. "To be honest, I was a little bit hesitant to move there," Dennis said.

"I've lived there now for almost six months. Every time I had gone for the Formula E race, I was always thinking like, 'oh, it's definitely not for me, I don't really like it'. I always expected it to give me something every time I went there.

"So every time I left the race, I was a bit underwhelmed by it, there's nothing to do. Whereas actually, it's great. Since moving there, accepting that it's my new lifestyle and I've actually got an apartment, I moved my girlfriend there, my dog, I accept it a lot more and I've actually really enjoyed it. It's a nicer experience. The weather's incredible the whole time."

Despite a permanent population of less than 39,000 as of 2023, it's long been a popular spot for F1 drivers to base themselves, but Dennis confirmed just how likely you are to see one of the racing stars on the street. "You don't, really," he revealed. "I haven't seen a single F1 driver there yet. I don't think they're there all that often.

"There's obviously a fair amount of supercars flying around, but I think in the summer it's going to be a little bit different, a lot more tourists and stuff like that, but I'll probably try and get out of Monaco at that stage, especially as the [Formula E] season finishes. But ultimately it's been a real nice change and I'm kind of glad that I've moved out of the UK and somewhere like Monaco."

While the F1 drivers may be hard to come by when strolling the streets of Monaco, Dennis has regularly seen his fellow Formula E out and about. "I've seen Antonio Giovinazzi quite a bit," the Brit said. "He's floating around in the streets quite a bit and then I've seen a lot of, honestly, the Formula E drivers, like Max Gunther, Nick Cassidy, Mitch Evans.

"I've gotten along really well with Nick since moving there. We have a lot of things in common, we play golf all the time together, so with him it's a little bit different. We're always seeing each other and linking up, training and stuff like that. In terms of the Formula 1 side, I think these guys are so busy now and they're never home. So I think if they ever are home, they probably don't want to be out in the streets getting mobbed by the fans."

Dennis currently sits fifth in the Drivers' Championship standings with 56 points and is yet to win a Grand Prix this season, with fellow Brit Oliver Rowland leading the way with 161 points and four race wins to his name.