An elusive ‘phantom’ F1 driver who has ‘menaced’ major motorways for six years has finally been arrested by police in the Czech Republic.
The red racing car has been spotted speeding through Czech roads on numerous occasions since 2019, with the driver, dressed in a helmet and full race gear, continually evading traffic authorities.
Police had difficulty proving the person’s identity due to their helmet.
But on Sunday morning a 51-year-old man was arrested at his home in the village of Buk, 37 miles south-west of Prague.
Police were tipped off after receiving calls which said a racing car had been seen at a petrol station near Dobříš.
They soon swooped on his house with several patrol cars and a helicopter before taking the man into custody after he briefly refused to get out of the vehicle.
The man was seen arguing with officers and telling them they were trespassing on his property as he sat in the car in front his garage, in footage posted by local media.
‘Thanks to information from drivers, this morning we stopped a Formula driver in the village of Buk who was speeding along the D4 highway,’ Czech Police wrote on X.
Police in the Czech Republic have finally arrested an elusive ‘phantom’ F1 driver after six years of ‘menacing’ major motorways
The red racing car has been spotted speeding through Czech roads on numerous occasions since 2019
Formula 1 cars are not legal to drive on public roads as they lack licence plates, lights, indicators and other safety equpiment
‘The police identified the driver as a 51-year-old man and subsequently took him to the district department to provide an explanation.
‘The driver of the car, who was stopped by police, refused to comment on the situation during questioning.
‘The police will proceed with administrative proceedings, in which he could face a fine of several thousand crowns and a driving ban.’
The driver’s son, named Lukas, argued the police presence was disproportionate to a ‘traffic violation’.
‘They entered our private land and violated our rights, in my opinion it was completely unnecessary and illegal,’ he told reporters on Sunday.
He denied any connection to the car that was spotted speeding.
The father and son run a YouTube channel named TrackZone, where they post videos of the car.
‘The events have always gone without any problems. Everyone knows very well that formula has been running on the highway in the Czech Republic since 2019 and people will have to get used to it,’ he told Czech outlet Idnes.cz.
On Sunday morning a 51-year-old man was arrested at his home in the village of Buk, 37 miles south-west of Prague
The phantom driver’s vehicle has often been described Ferrari Formula 1 car but it has been suggested that it is actually a Dallara GP2/08
Formula 1 cars are not legal to drive on public roads as they lack licence plates, lights, indicators and other safety equipment. Therefore the driver could be hit with a fine or have his licence suspended.
The phantom driver’s vehicle has often been described Ferrari Formula 1 car.
However, it has been suggested by racing website auto.cz that it is actually a Dallara GP2/08, a racing car developed for GP2 Series,
The driver first gained attention in 2019, when footage of the car appeared online, prompting police to question the suspected driver.
But they were unable to identify him or press charges with the helmet hiding his face.
