Force India's Sutil relieved after foiled blackmail attempt

By Alan Baldwin

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Force India Formula One driver Adrian Sutil said on Friday police had foiled an attempt to blackmail him after last month's Spanish Grand Prix.

"When I came back from Barcelona there was a guy who had the hard disk of my old computer because my father had thrown it away about two years ago," the German told Reuters at the Turkish Grand Prix.

"Somebody took this hard disk out of the computer, recognised me and he wanted to have a little benefit out of it," added the 25-year-old.

"He asked for some money. I was a little bit shocked at the beginning, it was a new situation but finally after four days they caught him and now we have to see what happens."

Sutil said there was nothing on the hard drive that would have embarrassed him if made public, other than "all my personal details, everything.

"All my contacts, my friends, my pictures. All my life was on there," added the German. "You can imagine how bad it is. It doesn't matter what is on there but it's my personal things and that's it."

The incident was the last thing Sutil needed after colliding with compatriot Sebastian Vettel's Toro Rosso on the first lap and retiring in Spain.

That was the third retirement in four races this season for a driver who scored Force India predecessors Spyker's sole point last year.