FIA Confirms Cybersecurity Breach at Driver Categorization Site, Exposing Data of Nearly 7,000 Drivers
Last Updated: October 24, 2025, 08:57 IST
On Thursday, the International Motoring Federation (FIA) disclosed that it had suffered a cybersecurity breach resulting in the exposure of sensitive personal information pertaining to drivers, including four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
The announcement, made at the Mexico City Grand Prix, indicated that the breach transpired “over the summer,” prompting immediate measures to fortify data security.
This incident involved the FIA Driver Categorization website, where unauthorized access enabled hackers to retrieve details such as passport numbers and personal contact information of nearly 7,000 drivers.
“Immediate actions were undertaken to secure drivers’ data, and the FIA promptly notified the relevant data protection agencies in accordance with its legal obligations,” the statement elaborated.
“A select group of affected drivers was also informed. Importantly, no other FIA digital platforms experienced repercussions from this breach.”
Meanwhile, the FIA underscored its commitment to cybersecurity, having invested significantly in protective measures across its digital infrastructures. A security-by-design policy is strictly enforced in all new digital projects,” it added.
The breach became public knowledge on Wednesday, as revealed by security researcher Ian Carroll. He clarified that he, along with two colleagues, accessed confidential information in June after their administrative requests for the site were sanctioned.
They successfully viewed Verstappen’s curriculum vitae, super-license, passport, and additional data.
“We ceased our testing upon realizing the extent of what could be accessed, including Max Verstappen’s passport, resume, license, and personally identifiable information (PII),” Carroll stated, according to Crash.net.
“Data was available for all F1 drivers with categorization, in addition to sensitive information regarding internal FIA operations. We refrained from accessing any passports or sensitive data, and all information has since been deleted,” he mentioned.
This incident is a significant embarrassment for the FIA, leading to the website being taken offline on June 3, prior to a comprehensive overhaul completed a week later.
Verstappen, who is participating in this weekend’s Grand Prix and contending for his fifth world title, has yet to publicly comment on the breach concerning his personal information but is expected to address reporters later on Thursday.
Source link: News18.com.
