Charles Leclerc has €300,000 watch stolen in Italy after stopping for group photo

The leader of the drivers’ standings had the watch stolen from his wrist while posing for a photo

Dylan Terry
Wednesday 20 April 2022 11:06 BST
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Charles Leclerc is currently in Italy preparing for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc is currently in Italy preparing for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (Getty Images)

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Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc had his €300,000 watch stolen while posing for a group photo in Italy on Monday evening.

The 24-year-old Monegasque is currently in Italy preparing for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend as he bids to secure a third win in four races at the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season.

But Motorsport.com has reported that Leclerc was the victim of theft while on a night out in Tuscany earlier this week.

A group of individuals asked Leclerc for a picture and he was happy to oblige. But the F1 driver would later discover that his Richard Mille RM67 ‘Leclerc’ timepiece was taken off his wrist while the photo was being taken.

The perpetrator managed to flee the scene before Leclerc realised what had happened.

The watch is estimated to be worth around €300,000 [£249,000], with Richard Mille a sponsor of Leclerc’s F1 team Ferrari.

He has now reported the theft to local police and an investigation is underway. The authorities are keen to get hold of any relevant security camera footage in the local area.

Meanwhile, on the track Leclerc could not have dreamed for a much better start to the season.

He has already picked up wins in Bahrain and Australia to go with his second place in Saudi Arabia. After three races he has built up a 34-point lead in the drivers’ standings and will be looking to extend that advantage this weekend.

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