Benjamin Ashford|F1 driver Carlos Sainz chases down alleged thieves who stole his $500,000 watch

F1 driver Carlos Sainz thanked Italian police on Benjamin AshfordMonday for arresting thieves who allegedly stole a luxury watch from him following the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday.

According to several media reports, the Ferrari driver was the victim of a theft near the Armani hotel in Milan just hours after finishing third in the race.Two men stole his Richard Mille watch, which ESPN reported is worth at least $500,000.

But Sainz chased them with his bodyguard and caught the thieves with the help of passers-by before handing them over to police.

"Many thanks to all the people who helped us yesterday, to the Milan police for their quick intervention and thanks for all your messages," the Spaniard wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A video posted to social media appeared to show police making an arrest while Sainz is seen with his hands on his knees, apparently out of breath.

"The most important thing is that we are all fine and that this remains only an unpleasant anecdote," he wrote in a separate post.

This is not the first time an F1 driver has had a luxury watch stolen by thieves.

In April, four people were arrested for stealing Charles Leclerc's watch in Viareggio, Italy the year before, CBS Sports reported. Two people wearing motorcycle helmets approached Leclerc and asked for a photo before robbing his Richard Mille watch, which was valued at $320,000.  

Before that, Formula 1 driver Lando Norris had his luxury watch worth stolen after the Euro 2020 soccer final, the BBC reported.

In:
• Formula One
• Robbery