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Franco Colapinto Burgled Near Lake Como During Formula 1 Summer Break
Alpine driver Franco Colapinto lost suitcases, clothing and a traditional mate kit during a summer break burglary in Italy before posting a now-deleted social media comment.
By Nadia van Leeuwen - 2026-08-11T15:15:00.000Z - 2 min read
Alpine driver Franco Colapinto has become the latest Formula 1 driver to fall victim to theft after being burgled during the sport's summer shutdown. The Argentinian was enjoying his holiday near Lake Como in Italy when thieves targeted his location and made off with a collection of personal belongings.
Colapinto took to social media to inform followers of the break-in, uploading a series of photographs featuring the stolen items alongside a brief message. The driver revealed that his suitcases, clothes and traditional mate kit, a caffeine-rich herbal drink setup widely consumed in Argentina, were all taken during his stay by the lake.
Reflecting on the loss, Colapinto wrote online that those uploaded images represented the final photos he had with the items. He confirmed that his luggage, apparel and tea preparation kit had been taken from the property, adding a message hoping that whoever took the belongings would enjoy them.
The Argentinian driver subsequently posted a second message that was later removed from his social media account. In that now-deleted post, Colapinto quipped about the irony of being robbed in Italy while suspecting that the thieves would likely not enjoy the taste of the traditional South American mate tea.
The burglary on Lake Como adds Colapinto's name to a growing list of Formula 1 figures who have been targeted by criminals in recent years. Drivers have increasingly found themselves singled out by thieves, experiencing significant property losses both at public events and while spending personal time away from the paddock.
Lando Norris was victimized in 2023 when a watch valued at £144,000 was stolen while he was attending a football match at Wembley Stadium. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were also targeted in separate incidents during 2022 and 2023, with Sainz successfully pursuing the perpetrators to reclaim his stolen £500,000 timepiece.
The unfortunate summer incident comes amidst an encouraging stretch of on-track performance for Colapinto in his second season with Alpine. The driver has established himself as a regular points contributor for the team over recent race weekends, building solid momentum prior to the mid-season break.
Just before the summer shutdown commenced, Colapinto earned broad recognition from fans by securing the overtake of the month award for a double pass executed at Spa-Francorchamps. During the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, he successfully pulled off a bold move past Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson.