(Motorsport-Total.com) – During the Miami race weekend, Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas promptly had his company car stolen. The Cadillac Escalade, which the Finn had parked in front of his accommodation, was stolen overnight from Friday to Saturday along with the paddock pass and VIP parking pass.
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“For the Miami Grand Prix, I used to always stay in Miami itself earlier,” Bottas says in his podcast “What’s next?” with Paul Ripke.
“I have been to Miami and South Beach, but in Fort Lauderdale you are about the same distance from the track, or even a little closer. Also, there is less traffic. Overall, it is a bit more relaxed there than in Miami itself. Everything feels a bit more normal, so I like to stay in Fort Lauderdale. Miami is a bit too much for me.”
About the theft itself, Bottas says: “Friday went completely normal. We turned into the driveway with the car, had a quick bite, and then went to bed early. The car keys were in the house and the car itself was locked.”
Surprise in the shower
Therefore, the ten-time Grand Prix winner was quite surprised when his Escalade was no longer in the driveway of the accommodation the next morning. His roommate for the weekend, Paul Harris, had to call the former Mercedes driver while he was in the shower. After all, there was no Cadillac Escalade in front of the house anymore.
“I couldn’t believe it,” emphasizes Bottas in the podcast. “I jumped [out of the shower], opened the door, and the Escalade was gone. The keys were still on a table in the house.”
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“Of course, I was late to the track,” continues the 36-year-old. “After all, we had to find another way there. But luckily, they sent another Escalade to us, with which we got to the track. Then I remembered: ‘Oh, my paddock pass is still in the other car.'”
“I didn’t have my paddock pass with me. Still, a solution was found for that. Later, the FBI was also involved, full investigation and so on.”
Whoever took off with the Cadillac did not see the paddock pass or VIP parking as an attractive bonus. So the car was not found at the track but in a more or less pleasant neighborhood.
Nevertheless, Bottas sums up: “Someone did something illegal and then left the car somewhere. In my mind, it must have been a getaway car, right? Shame about the vehicle, but pretty cool.”
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