F1 driver victim of 'chaotic' theft in build-up to Canadian Grand Prix
Formula 1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto has revealed he nearly didn't make it to the Canadian Grand Prix after a thief broke into his car and stole his passport.
The F1 season continues this weekend at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, with Lando Norris looking to get back ahead of his teammate and championship rival Oscar Piastri.
Many eyes will also be on Max Verstappen who is one error away from receiving a race ban following his shocking collision with George Russell in Spain.
But further down the grid, one young driver's preparation for the grand prix was disrupted in scary circumstances after Bortoleto was the victim of a theft during the week.
'I had gone to dinner one day in Switzerland and they ended up opening the car and taking my backpack,' the 20-year-old Sauber driver told Brazilian media.
'I had my passports, everything inside, my computer, all my running gear.'
Bortoleto was in Zurich, likely visiting the Sauber team's headquarters before flying out to Canada.
Thankfully, the thief was apprehended and most of the stolen items recovered, though he was forced to use a second passport and replace some travel documents to ensure he got to the race on time.
'It was chaos, but we managed to find the guy,' the Brazilian continued. More Trending
'Everything worked out in the end, I have my passports. We didn't find everything, but we did find some things.'
Friday, June 13:
Practice 1 – 6.30pm
Practice 2 – 10pm
Saturday, June 14:
Practice 3 – 5.30pm
Qualifying – 9pm
Sunday, June 15:
Race – 7pm
It is not the first time an F1 star has been the victim of a robbery. Just two years ago, then-Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz thwarted three men who tried to steal his £500,000 watch just hours after the Italian Grand Prix.
After winning the Formula 2 title last year, Bortoleto made his F1 debut in 2025 but is enduring a difficult rookie season as the only full-time driver yet to score a point.
While Sauber's car is one of the slowest on the grid, Bortoleto's vastly experienced teammate Nico Hulkenberg has managed to drag it into the points, remarkably finishing fifth in Spain, so the pressure is on for the rookie to get results.
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