‘I spent my entire World Snooker Championship prize money on cars – I don’t drive them’ | Other | Sport

When you win £500,000 for becoming a world champion, you’d surely have to be keen on driving to spend most of it on cars. Not Luca Brecel, though, who famously stunned snooker fans by prevailing at the Crucible in 2023.

Despite revealing he’d stayed up late partying and drinking during the tournament’s early rounds, Brecel knocked out reigning champion Ronnie O’Sullivan. He duly went all the way to the final, where he beat Mark Selby 18-15 to become the first man from continental Europe to lift the famous trophy. That also earned him his lucrative windfall, and he made the most of it.

In the months following his world title success, Brecel regularly went on holiday and made celebrity appearances. However, he also admitted to spending more than £440k of his winnings on luxury cars.

Brecel paid £250k on a high-speed Ferrari 448 and £80k for a Range Rover Sport. He also gifted his girlfriend, Laura Vanoverberghe a Porsche Taycan GT worth £111k.

Bizarrely, though, the expensive motors rarely get used. The 30-year-old, who gets his latest Crucible campaign underway against Ryan Day on Wednesday, has admitted he doesn’t often drive them.

“I got a couple of cars with my winnings,” he told The Sun. “I got a Ferrari and a couple of others. Just to enjoy myself. I don’t really drive it that often. I’m not really home that much.”

Despite struggling for form in the two years since his surreal success in Sheffield, Brecel insisted his lifestyle hasn’t changed. He still resides in Belgium and is currently in training for an Ironman triathlon event.

“To be honest, I live quite a simple life, apart from the cars maybe,” he added.“I just love being at home when I have the chance to be at home. Walk the dog, watch a bit of television, play a few games. A pretty basic life, to be honest. It may not look like that, but it is.”