Racing
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Valtteri Bottas said the FBI became involved after his Cadillac Escalade was stolen during the Miami Grand Prix weekend with his Formula 1 paddock pass and circuit parking permit still inside, turning what began as a vehicle theft into a potential track-security issue.
Speaking on the What’s Next? podcast, Bottas said the car disappeared from the driveway of his Fort Lauderdale Airbnb on Saturday morning before the Sprint race and qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix. He said the Escalade had been locked and that the keys were still inside the house when he realized it was gone.
“So got back Friday as normal, drove our car onto the driveway, had a quick dinner, early bed. Car keys are inside the house. Car is locked,” Bottas said on the podcast. “I couldn't believe it. I went outside, opened the door. The Escalade has vanished. Keys are still inside, on the table. I can see them.”
The immediate problem was getting to the circuit on time, but Bottas said the bigger concern came once he realized what had been left in the SUV. The vehicle had a parking permit in the window and his paddock pass inside, meaning whoever took it had access that went far beyond the car itself.
Bottas said the thief “had all the opportunities for that day - the VIP parking, walk to the paddock, sign in, go to the team.” That possibility is what triggered a wider response, with Bottas saying there was a “full investigation.”
The team arranged another Escalade to get him to the track, while authorities focused on the risk that the stolen vehicle and credentials could be used at the event. Bottas said the car was recovered the next day after being dumped in what he described as a high-crime area.
He said police and the FBI got involved because “we had the parking pass, so somebody could have driven the car to the track, they had my pass.” Bottas added that the thief “obviously wasn’t interested about the F1 race” and said, “Apparently, they probably just did a crime with the car and dumped it. So in my mind, it must have been like a getaway car or something.”
After the theft, Bottas said the team supplied an identical Escalade, but the group remained concerned enough to bring in overnight security at the Airbnb for the rest of the weekend. He said they hired “a security guy in for the AirBnb from 7pm to 7am, armed with a full vest, kit and everything,” underlining how seriously the incident was treated once paddock access was part of the case.