Motorsport: Sebastian Vettel's power move to avoid $29k fee

Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Ferrari arrives at the circuit on his motorbike. Photo /Getty

When you're being paid roughly NZ$66 million a year to drive the world's fastest cars in a different country each week, the bills — however extravagant — would surely fall by the wayside.

Private jets, accommodation and celebrations all come under the umbrella for Ferrari heavyweight Sebastian Vettel, but the German star may be a tad more thrifty than his rockstar lifestyle suggests.

A recent report from motorsport journalist Michael Schmidt uncovered a golden penny-pinching move from Vettel midway through Formula One's chaotic three week period covering the French, Austrian and English Grand Prix's.

Vettel flew a rented jet to Le Castellet in France but refused to pay the surge priced rate £2500 (NZ$4825) at the hotel next door.

He instead chose to live in a motorhome for the Grand Prix weekend, but even that raised a few complications.

A fee of £15,000 (NZ$28,950) to park the Ferrari motorhome on the grounds of the French track was put forward to the German. Rather than pay a third of the average Aussie's yearly wage for a parking spot, Vettel drove eight kilometres away and opted to ride his Triumph motorbike to the track each day.

A couple of litres of fuel for the four stroke seems a bit cheaper than a 29 grand parking spot, right?

All in all, it wasn't a great trip to France for the German, who finished fifth behind Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen, Max Verstappen and race winner Lewis Hamilton.