Williams Racing sues over missing £750,000 historic F1 car

Williams Racing has initiated legal proceedings in the British High Court seeking the return of a historic Formula 1 car or compensation exceeding £1 million. The vehicle, an FW23 model valued at approximately £750,000, was one of only nine produced by the team. It was notably driven by Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya during the 2001 season.

The car was loaned to Shropshire-based Autotech Performance Ltd in 2015 to serve as a showroom piece. Following a request for its return in 2021, the team received no response, and the company has since been dissolved. Williams is now suing Peter Thorpe, a former director and shareholder of Autotech.

Legal representatives for Williams allege that Thorpe had the car removed by falsely claiming ownership to company liquidators. Mr. Thorpe is contesting the claim, stating he never asserted ownership because he knew it was untrue. He cited memory issues following a stroke as the reason he cannot account for the car's current location.