Former Formula 1 driver Adrian Sutil has been taken into custody following an international police operation spanning three countries, facing serious allegations of fraud and embezzlement.
International Raid Leads to Arrest
German police detained the 42-year-old racing driver on Thursday during coordinated searches at properties in Monaco, Switzerland, and Sindelfingen, Germany. It was at the German address where authorities located and arrested Sutil.
According to reports from German publication Bild, an arrest warrant had been issued for the former motorsport star, who is now being held in pre-trial detention at a prison in Baden-Württemberg. Investigators have stated that Sutil is suspected of involvement in 'joint fraud in a particularly serious case and joint embezzlement'.
Not First Legal Trouble for Racing Star
This marks the second significant legal encounter for Sutil, who previously received an 18-month suspended sentence in 2012 for causing grievous bodily harm. The incident occurred in a Shanghai nightclub following the 2011 Chinese Grand Prix, where Sutil struck Eric Lux, chief executive of Lotus team owners Genii Capital, with a champagne glass.
The injury required Lux to receive 24 stitches in his neck. The Munich district court, under judge Christiane Thiemann, subsequently fined Sutil €200,000 (approximately £167,000) for the assault.
Seven-Year F1 Career and Unwanted Record
During his Formula 1 career, Adrian Sutil competed for teams including Spyker, Force India, and Sauber, making his debut in 2017 and accumulating 128 Grand Prix starts over seven seasons. He holds the unfortunate distinction of most career starts without achieving a podium finish, a record he reclaimed this year after Nico Hulkenberg's surprise podium at the British Grand Prix.
Sutil's strongest performances included a fourth-place finish at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix and fifth-place results in both the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix and the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix.
The Stuttgart public prosecutor's office confirmed the multinational operation, stating: "Several properties were searched in cooperation with the Baden-Wurttemberg State Criminal Police Office." The investigation continues as authorities examine evidence gathered during the raids.
