Particle.news
Download on the App Store

FBI Probes Theft of Valtteri Bottas’ Team SUV During Miami GP Weekend

Federal interest centered on stolen credentials that could grant access to F1’s restricted paddock.

Overview

  • Bottas’ team Cadillac Escalade, which vanished Saturday morning from a Fort Lauderdale Airbnb driveway, held his F1 paddock pass and a VIP parking permit.
  • Local police and the FBI opened a full investigation focused on the risk that the stolen credentials could enable unauthorized entry to the Miami International Autodrome.
  • The SUV was recovered the next day abandoned in what Bottas described as a high‑crime area, and there is no public indication the paddock pass was used.
  • Bottas said the team secured a replacement vehicle and posted an armed overnight guard at the Airbnb to reduce risk for the rest of the weekend.
  • Reporting points to a relay attack on the keyless system as a plausible method, where thieves boost the fob’s signal from inside a house to unlock and start the car, a vulnerability that could push teams and organizers to tighten credential and vehicle security.