Formula One rookie Gabriel Bortoleto has revealed he nearly missed this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix after thieves broke into his car in Switzerland and stole his passport whilst he was at dinner.
The 20-year-old Brazilian driver was dining in Zurich near his Sauber team's headquarters when criminals struck, taking a backpack containing crucial travel documents from his vehicle.
The theft forced Bortoleto to scramble for alternative travel arrangements to reach Montreal in time for the race, using a second passport and replacement documents to make the journey of over 4,000 miles to Canada.
The thieves made off with a backpack containing multiple passports, a computer and all of Bortoleto's running gear, causing significant disruption to his race preparations.
Gabriel Bortoleto was burgled just days prior to the Canadian Grand Prix
PA
"I had gone to dinner one day in Switzerland and they ended up opening the car and taking my backpack," the Sauber driver told Brazilian media.
"I had my passports, everything inside - my computer, all my running gear."
The break-in left the young driver facing "chaos" as he attempted to sort out the necessary documentation to travel to North America for the Grand Prix weekend.
JUST IN: Emma Raducanu linked with new relationship just weeks before Wimbledon
Gabriel Bortoleto is yet to record a point in Formula 1
PA
Despite the initial panic, Swiss police managed to apprehend the thief and recover some of the stolen items, though not everything was retrieved.
"It was chaos, but we managed to find the guy.
"Everything worked out in the end, I have my passports. We didn't find everything, but we did find some things," Bortoleto revealed.
READ MORE: Luke Littler and Luke Humphries become MBEs in King’s Birthday Honours
The recovery of his travel documents proved crucial, as Bortoleto was able to use a second passport to complete his journey to Montreal.
His ability to reach Canada ensured he could participate in the Grand Prix weekend despite the significant disruption to his preparations.
Bortoleto, who earns approximately £1.5 million annually, has endured a challenging debut season since replacing Valtteri Bottas at Sauber.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Gabriel Bortoleto replaced Valtteri Bottas at Sauber this year
PA
The Formula Two champion from last year has yet to register a point in Formula One, with a 12th-place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona representing his best result to date.
Teammate Nico Hulkenberg, on the other hand, finds himself 11th on the drivers' standings with 16 points.
He is not the first F1 driver to fall victim to thieves - two years ago, then-Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz chased down criminals who attempted to steal his £500,000 watch just hours after the Italian Grand Prix in Milan.
Thieves have struck in other sports too, with stars such as Fabian Ruiz, Jack Grealish and Alexander Isak all suffering the same fate recently.
Most Read
