DECEMBER 4, 2025

Jailed Sutil denies fraud charges via lawyer

Adrian Sutil has issued his first formal response to last week's arrest, with his lawyer insisting the former Formula 1 driver rejects all allegations and is cooperating fully with investigators.

Sutil, 42, was taken into custody in Sindelfingen last week after coordinated raids in Germany, Monaco and Switzerland. Stuttgart prosecutors confirmed he is under investigation for aggravated fraud and embezzlement in an international luxury-car leasing context.

His lawyer Dirk Schmitz released a detailed statement through TZ, confirming Sutil remains in pre-trial detention - not because of the charges themselves, but because he no longer has a residence in Germany.

Adrian Sutil is currently in pretrial detention in Germany, primarily due to the fact that Mr Sutil does not have a residence in Germany, but only in Monaco, Schmitz confirmed.

Sutil vehemently denies all accusations.

From his perspective, no financial damage has been incurred by third parties to date, the lawyer stated, adding that the case involves international and cross-border leasing agreements evaluated differently under various national laws.

Schmitz went further, alleging the former Force India driver may actually be the target of a larger criminal scheme.

The triggers and accompanying circumstances point to an attempt to deliberately and misleadingly damage his reputation. In particular, Adrian Sutil himself has become the victim of a major financial crime in a European context, he said, promising additional information soon.

Sutil is said to be fully cooperating with investigators to contribute to a swift and comprehensive clarification.

He is confident the allegations will prove unfounded and that his great name as a Formula 1 driver will be fully rehabilitated, the statement said.

He also described his arrest as a traumatic experience and asked the public and media to avoid prejudicial speculation. Assessments should only be made once reliable findings are available, Schmitz wrote.

(GMM)