Vettel's flowerpot find as Barcelona theft explained

Vettel, Aston Martin, Spain, 2022 — Photo: © LAT Images

Sebastian Vettel

Vettel's flowerpot find as Barcelona theft explained

Vettel lost his bag the morning after the Spanish GP

Ewan Gale

Friday 27 May 2022 13:20

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Sebastian Vettel was hoping to steal back his stolen backpack when chasing after thieves in Barcelona earlier this week.

The Aston Martin driver was the subject of F1's third theft in the last 10 months - after Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc both had watches stolen - when his bag was taken the morning after the Spanish Grand Prix.

The team confirmed he had tried to locate his belongings by tracing a GPS signal between his iPhone and Apple earphones but was only able to retrieve that accessory after it had been dumped by the thieves.

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"I was checking out in the morning from the hotel, I had my bag in the car and when I quickly went back in and came back out the bag was gone," explained the four-time F1 champion.

"After a while, I realised I had my headphones in the bag and I could locate them.

"I found the headphones but didn't find the bag so it wasn't really a chase. A bit disappointed to lose the bag.

"[The headphones] were in the bag but once I found them, they were in a flowerpot so I guess the person who stole it, he or she knew you could be tracked."

Asked if he had any concerns about his own personal safety when initiating the chase, Vettel insisted: "I wanted my bag! That was all that was in my mind."

Vettel details stolem items

On the belongings he had lost in the robbery, the German added: "There were not many valuables in there.

"I was not sure at the time whether my passport was in there or not. As it happened it was in another bag so I was lucky.

"But I had ID and insurance cards, driver's license, the boring stuff that takes time to get back and apply and fill out the forms. I wasn't looking forward to that.

"There was no money in there. I had some bandages in there for the knee so I guess whoever picked the backpack... there wasn't a great deal because the only thing that was valuable maybe was the headphones which they had to lose, not to be found.

"I really liked the backpack and I didn't think of... I was just going there to see if I could spot somebody and nick it back and jump back on the scooter. But nobody there."