--- title: "Mystery Driver Takes a GP2 Race Car on a Public Highway, and Police Aren’t Happy" description: "A driver in the Czech Republic was seen driving a GP2 race car on a public highway, which is obviously illegal." date: "2022-08-15" modified: "2022-08-15" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/psa-driving-an-open-wheel-race-car-on-the-highway-is-very-illegal" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "Watch This" --- # Mystery Driver Takes a GP2 Race Car on a Public Highway, and Police Aren’t Happy ![]() A video making the rounds on social media shows what appears to be a [Ferrari F1 car]() driving on the highway somewhere in the Czech Republic. However, contrary to endless reports, this is *not* an F1 car, but an old GP2 car dressed to look like a [Ferrari F1 car from the Schumacher era](). Regardless of the provenance of the racing car—and as you can imagine—this is also highly dangerous and *very* illegal. Local [reports]() claim that local police have yet to identify the driver and are currently looking for them. But according to a Czech [news outlet](), this character is a repeat offender, having previously taken their GP2 car on the highway back in 2019. Police back then tracked down the owner but couldn't prove who was driving because the culprit was wearing a helmet. Sounds like they pretty much got away with it and are probably up to it again. GP2 cars might look like[ Formula 1]() cars but they aren't. They're similar, as GP2 (now Formula 2) was an F1 support series from 2005-2008. The FIA made the GP2 a spec series, meaning they all featured the same chassis, engine, and other major components. They're all equal in order to highlight driver skill and not budget. The car seen on the video was likely built by Dallara and featured a Mecachrome-built, [naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8]() pushing 603 horsepower. Obviously, nothing about this machine is road-legal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wNOy5E9kx0 At one point in the video, once the crossover slowing down the GP2 driver moves out of the way, the driver opens it up and you get to hear the racing-bred V8 wail. As you might expect, it sounds pretty incredible. What's interesting about the driver, though, is that they didn't act recklessly. Sure, they opened the taps a few times but mostly seemed to respect the rules of the road, didn't weave through traffic, and only passed other cars when it was clear. They were mostly just chilling on the highway. Race cars of this kind are built for a specific set of conditions, meaning racetracks shared [with other vehicles of the same type](). Crash structures and other components are built specifically for those environments, so taking this car on a public road not only is dangerous for the driver but also for others. The number of things that could go wrong is many and they could have very serious consequences. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()