Franco Colapinto's relaxing Formula 1 summer break has turned sour after the Alpine star was allegedly robbed of his prized possessions during an Italian getaway. The Argentine driver, enjoying a well-deserved rest near the stunning Lake Como, says thieves made off with his belongings - including his clothes and beloved traditional 'mate' kit.
Colapinto's 10-Word Message to Thieves
Despite the infuriating blow, the 23-year-old managed to keep his trademark sense of humour, firing back with a blunt 10-word message on social media. Taking to his Instagram story to address the culprits who allegedly stole his belongings, Colapinto wrote: "I hope the Italians who took it all enjoy it!" He later edited the caption to read: "I hope those who claimed it enjoy it."
Replying to a concerned fan in the post's comments section, he insisted: "I was never robbed in Argentina!"
Season So Far
Colapinto had been soaking up the sun after an arduous first half of the 2026 season. Following a disappointing 15th-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix last month, he sits in 12th place in the Drivers' Championship, a whopping 200 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli.
He shared a series of snaps from his trip before dropping the bombshell that his holiday had supposedly been gatecrashed by thieves, prompting his devoted fanbase to flood his comments section with shock and disbelief.
"This is awful. I hope you are ok," one person wrote. Another said: "Terrible news... I'm glad you're physically okay." A third, meanwhile joked: "The good news is, the robbers might start liking mate."
Colapinto's Reaction
In his initial social media blast, a frustrated but amused Colapinto joked about the irony of the situation, writing: "Who would have thought that Europeans would rob a Latino."
He then lamented the loss of his traditional South American caffeine brew, adding: "Please, they didn't even leave the mate kit behind, crazy. I'm sure they won't even like the mate."
The incident comes just days after the Alpine driver was flying high, having scooped F1's award for the best overtake of the month. Fans voted for his breathtaking double-pass on Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps before the summer break.
Despite failing to keep pace with the big guns from Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull, Colapinto has been a shining light for Alpine in the 2026 campaign. He has proven himself to be one of the cleanest racers on the grid with only a single penalty point on his FIA superlicence.
The F1 paddock is currently on its mandatory summer break following the Hungarian Grand Prix. Drivers will return to the track for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on August 23, where Colapinto will be hoping to leave this incident firmly in the rearview mirror.
