The FIA has confirmed a cybersecurity breach earlier this year, following revelations by ethical hackers who accessed private data, including the passport and personal information of four-time world champion Max Verstappen. The breach involved a vulnerability in the FIA’s driver categorisation portal, which allowed the hackers to escalate their access and view confidential files of professional drivers. The system, separate from the Super Licence database, is used for managing driver classifications in global motorsport. The hackers, who identified themselves as Formula 1 fans, assured they had no malicious intent and stopped their test upon accessing Verstappen’s details. They responsibly reported the issue to the FIA, which promptly took the affected site offline and collaborated with the hackers to patch the flaw. The FIA has informed the relevant data protection authorities and the affected drivers, ensuring no other digital platforms were compromised.

