World’s best drives: Nelson Piquet Jr

I live in Monaco and one of my favourite things to do on my rare weekends off is to drive from Monaco through the Lombardy region of Italy to Lonato, where I regularly race at a go-karting track. I’ve always loved Italy; there are so many great places to go and eat – and, of course, it’s an incredible place to drive. That makes the two-and-a-half-hour drive from a hard day’s karting to relaxing on Lake Como a fun experience. If you go on the small roads to Piano Rancio above Bellagio you have the most amazing panoramic views of Como. You can even hike the Monte San Primo if you’re feeling energetic!

In America, nobody thinks twice about hopping in the car and going for a six-hour drive and that famous drive north from Los Angeles to San Francisco is a special one. If you hug the coastline you’ll see the beautiful beaches at Santa Barbara, the spectacular Big Sur and then the rugged coastline at Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey. On the Monterey Peninsula, you can pay to access the ‘17-mile-drive’ through Pebble Beach, where every year one of the biggest classic car events in the world is held. The view can be stark or beautiful and sunny, depending on the day, but it’s always impressive.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Florida; I raced in America in NASCAR and Global Rallycross and I lived in Miami for part of that time. I still go there regularly as my sister lives there, and it’s the perfect place to take some time out and unwind. Driving north from Miami, you can be in Key Largo and Key West in two to three hours, which is a special place. The road through the Keys is unreal – a huge, straight highway running across the turquoise sea – and there are some great beaches to visit.