FBI Launches Investigation Into F1 Star's Car Theft in Miami
Valtteri Bottas had quite the Miami Grand Prix weekend, and not just because of what happened on track. The Formula 1 driver revealed that the team-provided Cadillac Escalade assigned to him for the race weekend was stolen from the driveway of his Airbnb in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, triggering an FBI investigation.
The story came to light on the What's Next? Podcast, hosted by Bottas and Paul Ripke, where the Finnish driver walked through what happened in remarkable detail.
How It Happened
Bottas had chosen to base himself in Fort Lauderdale rather than Miami for the race weekend, preferring the quieter atmosphere of the area. He described it as a "nice area" with "low crime rates," which made what happened next all the more surprising.
"Got back Friday as normal, drove our car to the driveway, had a quick dinner, early to bed. Car keys are inside the house. Car is locked," the 36-year-old driver recalled. "I wake up Saturday morning, I was in the shower about 15 minutes before leaving for the track. And then Paul Harris [Bottas' personal assistant], who also stayed in the Airbnb, is calling me... He was like, 'Oh, I was asking where did you go?' I said, 'What do you mean?' 'Well, the car is gone.'"
Bottas stepped outside to find the Escalade had vanished, with the keys still sitting on the table inside the house. "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 like, 'What? What? How?'"
Why the FBI Got Involved
The theft was serious enough on its own, but what was inside the car escalated things significantly. Bottas' F1 paddock pass had been left in the vehicle, meaning whoever took the car had the credentials to drive straight into the Formula 1 paddock and access restricted areas. "I didn't have a paddock pass," the Finnish star said. "So anyway, I found a solution for that. FBI got involved. Full investigation."
The concern was obvious; someone with Bottas' paddock pass could have walked into one of the most secure environments in the world of sports. As Bottas joked, the thief "had all the opportunities for that day. Get the VIP parking, walk to the paddock, sign in, go to the team."
As it turned out, whoever stole the car had no interest in Formula 1. "The car, the next day, it was found dumped somewhere in a dodgy area, in a high-crime area. "So the police and FBI got involved, just because of this reason what you mentioned. We had the parking pass, so somebody could have driven the car to the track. They had my pass, but they obviously weren't interested about the F1 race. Apparently, they probably just did a crime with the car and dumped it."
Valtteri Bottas Takes It in His Stride
True to form, the F1 star found a way to see the funny side. "In my mind, it must have been like a getaway car or something. It's sad that we lost the car, but it's pretty cool!"
The Cadillac team arranged alternative transport to get Bottas to the circuit in time, and a replacement Escalade was provided for the rest of the weekend. Despite the chaos of Saturday morning, Bottas made it to the track and took part in the Miami Grand Prix.
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 3:10 AM.