A 51-year-old man was taken into custody on Sunday after officers swooped on his home in the village of Buk, southwest of Prague.

The dramatic operation involved multiple patrol cars and a helicopter, after motorists reported spotting the red car stopping for petrol near Dobris.

Local media footage showed the man dressed in full racing gear and helmet, refusing to leave his vehicle as he argued with police and accused them of trespassing on his property.

He eventually surrendered and was led away for questioning, but declined to comment on the allegations.

The arrest brings to a close years of speculation over the identity of the driver, who had become a notorious figure since 2019 when videos of the car — often mistaken for a Ferrari Formula 1 machine — first went viral online.

Police struggled to prove who was behind the wheel, with the helmet concealing his face each time he appeared on the motorways.

The car itself is not believed to be a Ferrari, but rather a Dallara GP2/08 — a former feeder-series machine once raced in the GP2 Championship.

Police said the man now faces administrative proceedings, with the possibility of a driving ban and a fine of several thousand crowns.

The driver’s son, Lukas, criticised the heavy-handed police response, claiming around two dozen patrol cars were involved in the raid.

He denied his father had any connection to the car seen at the petrol station, arguing the authorities had overstepped their rights.

Both father and son operate a YouTube channel called TrackZone, where they have previously shared footage of the vehicle.

Over the years, the “phantom F1 driver” had built a cult following online, with social media users joking about his motorway appearances and praising the audacity of his late-night runs.