THEY quite literally live life in the fast lane – so it’s little wonder the stars of Formula One all have very glamorous lifestyles away from the track too.
The likes of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will battle it out this weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and no doubt many of their stunning wives and girlfriends will be trackside to cheer them on.
Here, we take a closer look at the talented, glamorous partners behind the drivers…
Racing royalty
Max Verstappen’s girlfriend Kelly Piquet
Red Bull’s title-chasing driver Max, 24, is very loved up with 33-year-old Brazilian model and journalist Kelly Piquet, who this week celebrated her birthday.
Max went public with their relationship on New Year’s Day this year, sharing a romantic snap of them together on a beach in Brazil, though it’s thought they’ve been an item since October 2020.
Even before dating Max, Kelly had strong ties to Formula One racing, as she is the daughter of three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet and Dutch model Sylvia Tamsma.
Nelson drove for Ensign, McLaren and Brabham before moving to Williams, where he won his final championship in 1987, beating teammate Nigel Mansell.
Kelly was previously in a relationship with Russian driver Daniil Kvyat, and the former couple share a young daughter.
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The stunning model has a whole host of social media advertising deals, with the likes of Pepe Jeans and silver jewellery brand APM Monaco.
Bilingual beauty
Charles Leclerc’s girlfriend Charlotte Sine
Charles Leclerc, 24, and architecture student Charlotte, 22, went official in December 2019 with a series of loved up skiing holiday snaps, and were most recently spotted holidaying together in Mykonos.
The student has declared fellow Monegasque Charles as “the one” and her “world”.
Charlotte is also an influencer with over 376,000 Instagram followers, and she speaks three languages – French, English and Italian.
Jewellery designer
Lance Stroll’s girlfriend Sara Pagliaroli
Aston Martin driver Lance, 23, is dating stunning Italian model Sara Pagliaroli, 26.
She has cheered on her Canadian-Belgian fella from the side of the track over recent months and was seen with him at the circuit last Saturday ahead of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.
The couple also attended the world premiere of James Bond in London, with Sara looking radiant in a shimmering gold gown.
Sara, who has 166,000 Instagram followers, launched her jewellery brand Blue Lemon during lockdown as a way to “express my creativity”.
She recently shared a romantic series of snaps with Lance, captioned: “Thank you the day you arrived. Love you #1.”
Childhood sweethearts
Sebastian Vettel’s wife Hanna Prater
German racing driver Sebastian Vettel, 34, met childhood sweetheart Hanna Prater at school.
The couple have been together ever since, and they wed in 2019.
Hanna is a former industrial design student who prefers to stay away from the spotlight.
The couple reportedly live in a medieval-style farmhouse in Switzerland and have two daughters together.
Model student
George Russell’s girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt
Next season, rising British F1 racer George Russell, 23, will be teaming up with Lewis Hamilton and driving for Mercedes.
He’ll be cheered on by his gorgeous girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt, who he was spotted holidaying in St Barts with earlier this year.
She graduated from the University of Westminster with a Bachelor’s degree in business management and finance.
George was previously in a relationship between 2017 and 2019 with Seychelle de Vries – the sister of his former teammate Nick de Vries.
Miss Italia finalist
Fernando Alonso’s partner Linda Morselli
Linda Morselli, 32, is an Italian model and was one of 30 finalists for Miss Italia in 2006.
From there, she began a TV career in her homeland and has appeared in films including The Paramedic.
She previously embarked on a four-year romance with motorcycle legend Valentino Rossi, which thrusted her into the limelight.
However, since 2016, Linda has been two-time F1 champ Fernando Alonso’s girlfriend.
She loves skydiving and calls herself an “adventure traveller” on social media.
Crypto expert
Esteban Ocon’s partner Elena Berri
Italian beauty Elena Berri, 23, describes herself as a “fashion lover”, “fitness addicted” and a “crypto expert” on her Instagram account, followed by 57,000 fans.
She’s been dating Alpine driver Esteban Ocon, 24, since 2017 and previously studied business management in Geneva.
She’s often seen cheering on her man, and she regularly posts glamorous photos trackside.
Influencer
Pierre Gasly’s girlfriend Katerina Berezhna
Ukrainian beauty Berezhna is dating French driver Pierre Gasly, following his split from Caterina Masetti Zannini earlier this year.
The 22-year-old calls Madrid and Marbella her home and has her own jewellery line, Imerelli Jewelry, along with 115,000 Instagram followers.
She tends to keep her romance with Gasly on the down-low, rarely sharing any snaps together.
She did share a photo of her sat in her fella’s Alpha Tauri car last month, following the Qatar Grand Prix.
Olympic cyclist
Valtteri Bottas’ girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell
Talk about a power couple! Finnish Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas is dating distinguished road cyclist Tiffany Cromwell.
Australian Tiffany regularly takes part in Grand Tours and is a Tokyo 2020 Olympian.
Valtteri, 32, clearly likes sporty women – he was previously married to Emilia Pikkarainen, a Finnish Olympic swimmer he had dated since 2010.
They shocked fans in 2019 when they announced they were getting divorced after three years of marriage – just days before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Air hostess-turned-PT
Kimi Raikkonen’s wife Minttu
F1’s famous playboy Kimi and Minttu Vertanen wed in 2016 after meeting through personal friends.
A former air-hostess, she is now a personal trainer and model, and the couple share two children.
According to reports, sparks instantly flew when they met – sounds like she melted the heart of the “ice man” Finn.
He was previously married to Miss Scandinavia 2001 Jenni Dahlman, but they separated in February 2013.
Socialite
Sergio Perez’ wife Carola Martinez
The wife of Mexican driver Sergio Perez, 31, is Carola Martinez, 24, a relatively private socialite from Guadalajara.
The Christian pair exchanged vows on June 3 2018, with Red Bull racer Sergio proposing the year before.
They share two children – three-year-old son Sergio Perez Jr and two-year-old daughter Carlota.
Carola regularly shares adorable family photos, including romantic wedding snaps from their big day, with her 81,000 Instagram followers.
‘Too busy for love’
He’s one of the leading men on the track, but whether Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, 36, is the leading man in anyone’s life away from racing remains to be seen.
He’s had a slew of high profile romances, most famously his seven-year relationship with former Pussycat Doll singer Nicole Scherzinger.
Most recently, it was thought he was dating model Camila Kendra, 27 – however she’s since sparked romance rumours with Chelsea star Ben Chilwell.
Speaking about his love life in 2018, Lewis said: “I’m a workaholic. I don’t have time for it.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk