F1 drivers are no strangers to garages filled with million-dollar machines. But not every set of wheels they own comes out of their salary. Some arrive with a bow on top—tokens of appreciation from the very teams they raced for. From V12 masterpieces to hybrid hypercars, these are the rare, roaring perks of being part of the greatest motorsport on Earth:
Michael Schumacher – Ferrari FXX (2006)
Value: ~$2.5 million (₹20 crore)
Schumacher didn’t just leave Ferrari with seven titles—he left with an FXX, the prototype Enzo cranked up to 11. Track-only, wildly limited, and customised in his name, it remains one of the most legendary thank-you notes in automotive history.
Michael Schumacher – Ferrari Enzo (2002)
Value: ~$3 million (₹25 crore)
Before the FXX came the Enzo. Ferrari gifted Schumacher the V12-powered halo car during his dominant stint with the team. It now sits in the official Ferrari museum, bearing his signature.
Michael Schumacher – Ferrari F355 Berlinetta (1996)
Value: ~$150,000 (₹1.25 crore)
Long before the hypercars, Schumacher was gifted a Ferrari F355 Berlinetta back in 1996—his first official road car from the team. A purist’s dream with a gated manual and razor-sharp dynamics, he famously drove it daily in the early days of his Ferrari tenure. A modest icon by today’s standards, but a true driver’s car through and through.
Carlos Sainz Jr. – Ferrari Daytona SP3 (2024)
Value: ~$2.2 million (₹18 crore)
To mark the end of his Ferrari chapter, Sainz was handed a bespoke Daytona SP3—complete with his race number 55 and “Smooth Operator” stitched into the cabin. Few farewell gifts scream ‘we’ll miss you’ quite like this.
Nigel Mansell – Ferrari F40 (1989)
Value: ~$1.5 million (₹12.5 crore)
When Mansell signed with Ferrari in 1989, Enzo personally handed him the keys to an F40. Consider it a red carpet made of carbon fibre and twin turbos.
Ayrton Senna – Two Honda NSXs (1990)
Value: ~£500,000 each (₹5 crore)
Senna’s relationship with Honda went beyond the racetrack. As a token of appreciation, Honda gifted him two NSXs—a red one he kept at his Portuguese residence and a black one in Brazil. Senna was instrumental in fine-tuning the NSX’s performance, providing feedback that led to enhancements in chassis rigidity and suspension—turning the iconic Japanese supercar into a track legend. The red NSX, in particular, became iconic, featuring in the documentary Racing is in My Blood and was famously photographed with Senna washing it.
Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin Valiant (2024)
Value: ~£2 million+ (₹21 crore)
Developed with Alonso’s input, the Valiant is a raw, manual V12 missile with retro-futuristic design cues. One of just 38 ever built, his is even finished in ‘Lanzante Green.’
Max Verstappen – Honda NSX Type S (2022)
Value: ~£150,000 (₹1.5 crore)
Following his back-to-back F1 World Championships in 2021 and 2022, Honda presented Verstappen with a limited-edition NSX Type S during the 2022 Honda Racing Thanks Day at Motegi. This model, limited to 350 units globally, boasts a hybrid powertrain with a twin-turbo V6 engine, delivering exceptional performance. Verstappen expressed his gratitude, stating, “That’s an incredible present. It’s an amazing car. So yeah, I’m very proud to receive it. So thank you very much.”
Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S (2025)
Value: ~$180,000 (₹1.5 crore)
Mercedes welcomed their 18-year-old prodigy this year with a thunderous AMG GT 63 S. Only problem? Italian law won’t let him drive it for three more years. Cruel but cool—atleast there's no chances of the Merc wunderkind getting into any offseason incidents.
Valtteri Bottas – Mercedes-AMG One
Value: ~$2.8 million (₹23 crore)
Bottas’ parting gift was a hybrid hypercar with an actual F1 power unit stuffed inside. Only 275 units exist, and Bottas now owns one of the wildest retirement presents in the paddock.
