How to steal an F1 car
Williams has gone to the High Court in London seeking the return of a 2001 FW23 Formula 1 car that disappeared while in the possession of a company displaying it. The team values the car at around €885,000 and is demanding its return or more than €1.18 million in compensation.
The car was loaned for display but never returned
Williams handed over an FW23 chassis to British company Autotech Performance in 2015, where it was displayed in the customer area. In autumn 2021, Williams terminated the agreement and demanded the car's return. No response came, and the company soon went into liquidation.
Williams' lawyers allege that the company's former director and co-owner, Peter Thorpe, incorrectly told the liquidators that the Formula 1 car belonged to him. The car subsequently disappeared from the workshop premises.
Thorpe denies having the car in his possession
Thorpe disputes Williams' allegations and maintains that he does not know the car's current whereabouts. His defence says he suffered a stroke in 2018, after which he developed memory problems. Thorpe claims he last saw the FW23 at Autotech's premises on 8 August 2021, when the company's assets were being valued. He does not confirm who later removed the car.
The car's value is also disputed
Williams values the chassis at around €885,000, but Thorpe's defence considers that figure too high.
The reason is the car's condition. The disputed FW23 was a display car and had no engine. It is therefore not a functioning racing car, although it is a genuine Williams chassis.
Williams nevertheless considers the car an important part of its historic collection and strictly restricts the sale and use of such cars.
The FW23 brought Williams four wins
The FW23 competed in the 2001 Formula 1 season, when Williams used a BMW V10 engine. Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya took a combined total of four Grand Prix wins in the model.
Williams finished third in the constructors' championship. The FW23 was particularly strong on fast circuits, where the BMW engine gave the car a clear advantage.
The disputed car is one of nine FW23 chassis. The court has yet to begin hearing the substance of the case, and the car's current whereabouts remain unknown.
