Czech police on Sunday arrested a 51-year-old man they say was driving a distinctive Ferrari-style race car that repeatedly sped on national motorways over nearly six years, authorities said.
Officers followed the vehicle to a property in the village of Bulk, about 60 kilometres (37 miles) southwest of Prague, and detained the driver, who had been seen in videos and photos wearing a full racing helmet and suit while driving the car. Police published the arrest on their X account, saying the man was taken to a police station for questioning.
Video circulating from the D4 motorway showed the car stopping at a gas station on Sunday morning and the driver arguing with officers who approached the property, the police statement said. Footage published by Czech media captured the driver contesting that police were trespassing; his son later told local outlets that several dozen police cars and a helicopter surrounded the home and called the response disproportionate for what he termed a traffic violation.
Police said the detained man "refused to comment on the entire situation when giving an explanation. The police will forward the whole matter to administrative proceedings." Authorities said the suspect could face a fine of several thousand Czech crowns and a driving ban. His name has not been released.
The car, long referred to in media reports as a Ferrari Formula 1 vehicle, is technically a Dallara GP2/08 race car built in Italy for the GP2 series, a feeder category for Formula One. That distinction was noted by several outlets after the vehicle’s images circulated widely online.
Police first began tracking the so-called "Phantom Ferrari driver" in 2019, after images and videos spread on social media showing a helmeted driver speeding and evading traffic officers. At the time, officers located the vehicle but the person they found denied having driven it on the motorway. Identification was complicated by the helmet, which obscured the driver’s face in footage.
It is not yet clear whether the person arrested on Sunday is the same individual seen in the original 2019 incidents, police said. The case will now proceed under administrative law; further details, including any charges, were to be determined after police and administrative authorities complete their review.
The arrest brings to an apparent close a high-profile local mystery that drew attention online and in Czech media, in part because of the vehicle’s race-car appearance and the helmeted figure captured in multiple recordings. Authorities did not provide a timeline for when any fines or bans would be imposed.