On the night of April 18, 2022, Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc was the victim of a robbery as thieves stole his $320,000 Richard Mille watch in the Tuscan city of Viareggio on Easter Monday. It happened around 10 PM when the Monegasque was recognized by fans, forming a small group. Posing as fans, two suspects wanted to take a photo with the Ferrari F1 driver. He said yes, which immediately proved to be a costly mistake.
The thieves snatched the expensive timepiece from his wrist and made a run for it using a scooter, delivering the precious item to an accomplice with a grey crossover. That looks like an Opel judging by the hood's central ridge. Footage released this week by Italian police shows Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari 488 Pista.
Da Napoli alla Versilia per rapinare orologi di pregio: i #Carabinieri arrestano 4 persone. Tra gli episodi documentati, la rapina di un prezioso orologio compiuta ai danni del pilota Charles Leclerc -> https://t.co/Hdzu5cUe9q pic.twitter.com/0wAIIuPFm1
— Arma dei Carabinieri (@_Carabinieri_) April 4, 2023
The official statement released by the Italian police says four individuals have been arrested and are under investigation for theft: the two people seen riding the scooter along with a 39-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman in the crossover, which was apparently a rental from Naples. The police found and seized two "valuable watches" from a suspect during a house search, but it's unclear whether either belongs to the F1 driver. They also found €23,000 in cash the suspect wasn't able to justify.
Join owners and enthusiasts discussing this topic at FerrariChat.com!
On the very same night, two of the suspects tried but failed to steal a watch – believed to be valued at €40,000 – from a man's wrist. In addition, police say the suspects might have also been involved in an incident that took place in August 2021 when a French tourist was robbed at gunpoint in the Italian town of Forte dei Marmi. Much like in Charles Leclerc's case, the thieves stole the tourist's watch, which is said to be worth €80,000.
