The 75-year-old relocated from the UK to Italy just over a year ago, and in a recent interview with Italian publication Corriere della Sera revealed that his British licence has since expired, and due to the language barrier, he’s unable to pass the Italian driving test.

“I chose Italy as my country, this is where I want to live,” Scheckter said. “The problem is that I speak Italian very badly, I can’t possibly pass the test.

“I was able to drive with my licence for a year, but now it’s expired.”

He has since hired a lawyer to help resolve the situation and has reached out to Ferrari, the team with which he contested 28 races and won the 1979 World Championship.

Since retiring from Formula 1 in 1980, Scheckter has built a successful post-racing career in weapons simulation and organic farming.

His former 530-acre estate in the UK, which includes 17 houses and a private farm, is currently listed for sale through real estate firms Savills and Knight Frank for £58 million ($120.8 million AUD).

Scheckter won the 1979 title from Ferrari teammate Gilles Villeneuve by four points and remains the only F1 World Champion from Africa.