Räikkönen will move to Baar

The race for the Formula 1 title within the canton of Zug is well and truly on! German Sebastian Vettel, who won last Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, is already a Walchwil resident, and now it appears that flying Finn Kimi Räikkönen is set to be a near neighbour.

 

29-year-old Räikkönen, who won the world drivers' championship in 2007 at the wheel of his Ferrari, edging out Lewis Hamilton in the final race, has  purchased the "Butterfly Villa" in the Rebhalde neighbourhood, and one of his cars (though not his Formula 1…) is already parked outside the garage. The price of the villa was apparently 33 million Swiss francs. The 3,000 m² large property with an outdoor and indoor pool was empty for about half a year as reported by neighbors.

The municipality of Baar can look forward to a generous tax on profit from real estate.  According to mayor Andreas Hotz at least 10 percent is due. The estimates are to  be around 1.2 million Swiss francs.

"Due to our secrecy policy, we cannot provide any information on the future taxation of the married couple Räikkönen"said Guido Jud, head of the cantonal tax administration.

 

Räikkönen made his Formula 1 debut for the Swiss Sauber team in 2001 and since then has had an official residence in Wollerau, in the canton of Schwyz.