For most Formula 1 drivers, the biggest threat during a Grand Prix weekend comes on track. For Valtteri Bottas in Miami, it arrived much closer to home – right from the driveway of his Airbnb.
The Cadillac F1 driver found himself at the center of a bizarre criminal investigation during the Miami Grand Prix weekend after the luxury Escalade assigned to him disappeared overnight.
What initially looked like a straightforward car theft quickly escalated into something far more serious once authorities realized the SUV also contained Bottas’ Formula 1 paddock credentials and VIP parking access.
By Saturday morning, local police and even the FBI had become involved, amid fears the stolen vehicle could potentially be used to gain access to the heavily secured Formula 1 paddock at Hard Rock Stadium.
Instead of preparing calmly for a day at the racetrack, Bottas suddenly found himself dealing with missing credentials, emergency transport arrangements and a mystery worthy of a Netflix crime series.
A quiet stay turns into chaos
Bottas had intentionally avoided the intensity of central Miami by staying in Fort Lauderdale, a decision he said usually makes race weekends far easier to manage.
“So for the Miami Grand Prix, I used to stay in Miami,” he explained on his weekly What's Next podcast with Paul Ripke.
“I've stayed in Miami and also South Beach, but Fort Lauderdale is the same or even less of a distance to the track. There's a bit less traffic. That town is a bit more chill than Miami. I feel like it's a bit more real.
“That's why I stay in Fort Lauderdale. I prefer it to Miami. For me, Miami is a bit much.”
After Friday’s running, everything appeared completely normal.
“I 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,” he recounted.
‘The Escalade has vanished’
The chaos only became apparent minutes before Bottas was due to leave for the circuit.
“I woke up Saturday morning. I was in the shower about 15 minutes before leaving for the track. And then Paul Harris, who also stayed in the Airbnb, is calling me,” he continued.
“And I'm like, 'Hello? Why are you calling me? I'm like next door.' He was like, 'Oh, I was asking where did you go?' I said, 'What do you mean?'
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“'Well, the car is gone.' So, 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?' So, our car got stolen from the driveway of our Airbnb.
“Obviously, I was going to be late to the track because we had to find another way of transport. But yeah, luckily they sent another Escalade, it took us to the track, and then I was like, 'Oh, my paddock pass was in the car.' I didn't have a paddock pass. So anyway, I found a solution for that. FBI got involved. Full investigation.”
FBI enters the scene
The missing credentials immediately raised alarms because the thief technically had access to Formula 1’s restricted inner circle.
“He had all the opportunities for that day, get the VIP parking, walk to the paddock, sign in, go to the team. But no, the next day it was found dumped already 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 in the F1 race.
“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, you know? Like, it's sad that we lost the car, but it's pretty cool.”
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