Saudi businessman rented Maserati in Milan.

Rome police have tracked down the driver of the Maserati who drove down the Spanish Steps late on Tuesday night, damaging the Baroque staircase.

The motorist, described by Italian media as a 37-year-old Saudi businessman, was in the capital on holiday at the time of the incident, which made national news in Italy.

"Yes, it was me who drove the car down the Spanish Steps" - the man told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera - "but I just took a wrong turn".

He added that he didn't think the incident was "so serious" but pledged that he was "ready to face his responsibilities".

• Rome police seek Maserati driver who damaged Spanish Steps

The man had reportedly been on his way home with a Romanian woman he met in a night club when he made the illegal manoeuvre down the 18th-century steps.

The driver tried to reverse back up the steps, then called a tow truck, before managing to get the car back onto the road with the help of some passersby.

He then left the scene with the woman, 30, but not before several stemps.

• Spanish Steps: all you need to know about Rome landmark

The driver left Rome and continued his Italian vacation in the Maserati which he had rented from a dealer in Milan, reports the Corriere.

The man now faces charges of aggravated damage to a cultural heritage site, in addition to a fine.

The damage caused by the "wrong turn" has since been repaired by technicians from Rome's Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.

The Spanish Steps underwent a €1.5 million restoration by luxury fashion house Bulgari between 2015 and 2016.