Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Latest F1 Victim Of Watch Theft Epidemic, Chases Thieves And Gets It Back

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz had an interesting weekend.

Just hours after crossing the stripe at the Italian Grand Prix in P3 — securing a podium finish for the Scuderia in their home race — Sainz was the victim of street crime.

Talk about highs and lows...

Sainz was in Milan on Sunday night when a thief snatched his one-of-a-kind Richartd Mille watch off of his wrist.

The watch in question is one hell of a timepiece, with an estimated value somewhere in the neighborhood of £500,000 (nearly $630,000), per ESPN.

Perhaps given the immense value of it, Sainz and his bodyguard chased the thieves down. They then restrained them with the help of passers-by until la polizia arrived on the scene.

Videos made the rounds of Sainz — who was still wearing one of his team-issued shirts — standing at the scene of the incident alongside police.

Sainz Is The Latest F1 Driver To Have His Watch Stolen

Following the incident, Sainz released a statement on X (which back in the day we used to call Twiteter) in Italian, English, and Spanish addressing the incident,

"As many of you already know, yesterday we experienced an unfortunate incident in Milano," he wrote. "The most important thing is that we are all OK and this will only remain as an unpleasant anecdote.

"Many thanks to all the people who helped us yesterday, to the Milan police for their quick intervention and thanks for all your messages."

Sainz is the latest driver to have a watch stolen off his wrist in the last two years or so. His former McLaren teammate Lando Norris had his custom Richard Mille watch pulled off his wrist in London following the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium in 2021. A man was arrested after the incident but was found not guilty earlier this year.

Sainz's current Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, had his watch stolen — would you believe it was Richard Mille? — while in Tuscany in April 2022. Four people were arrested in connection with that incident.

Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle