Former racing driver Adrian Sutil is in prison after being arrested on suspicion of fraud. The public prosecutor's office speaks of a particularly serious case. Sutil rejects the accusations.
03.12.2025, 16:41
03.12.2025, 16:47
dpa
Former Formula 1 driver Adrian Sutil has been arrested on suspicion of fraud and is in custody. Specifically, the Stuttgart public prosecutor's office is accusing the 42-year-old of joint fraud in a particularly serious case and joint embezzlement, as a spokesperson told the German Press Agency. This was first reported by the newspaper "Bild". According to his lawyer, Sutil denies the allegations.
The former racing driver argues that no economic damage was caused to third parties. The pre-trial detention was ordered because Sutil does not have a residence in Germany, but only in Monaco, the lawyer's statement continued.
Last Thursday, several properties were searched with the Baden-Württemberg State Office of Criminal Investigation, including one in Sindelfingen near Stuttgart, said the spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office. Sutil was arrested there. The Stuttgart district court had previously issued an arrest warrant at the request of the public prosecutor's office. The spokesman did not initially say exactly what the charges were and whether other people had been arrested.
Ex-racing driver sees himself as a victim
According to his lawyer, Sutil suspects that his "reputation is being deliberately and misleadingly" damaged. He himself had been the "victim of a major financial crime in Europe" and the current experiences were traumatic for him. The presumption of innocence applies until the legally binding conclusion of the proceedings.
Sutil ended his Formula 1 career after the 2014 season, when he was the driver with the most races without ever making it onto the podium. The son of a former musician from the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra began his career in motorsport's premier class in 2007 with the then Spyker team, which competed under the name Force India the following year.
With a one-year break (2012), Sutil drove for the team until the end of 2013. He contested his last season in Formula 1 for the Swiss Sauber team. He made 128 Grand Prix appearances. His best race result was fourth place in Italy in 2009. In 2011, Sutil made it into the top ten in the championship standings in ninth place.
