$30,000 Worth of Camera Gear Stolen From F1 Media Center

Two men who appeared to be installing wiring under the desks reportedly stole around $30,000 worth of camera gear from a photographer at the Mexico City Grand Prix. All they needed was a five-minute window and a very convincing reason to be on the floor.

F1 photographer and content creator Kym Illman shared the story on his blog. On the Wednesday before the race, an Australian photographer named Ryan left his bag on the floor of the media center. According to Kym, the media center wasn’t fully operational yet, and several other people did the same before stepping out.

When Ryan returned about five minutes later, his bag felt suspiciously light. He first assumed his mates were pranking him. Unfortunately, two cameras and several lenses were gone. PetaPixel reports that the haul included two Canon EOS R1 bodies and 100-300mm, 85mm, and 14-35mm lenses.

Security footage reportedly showed the two men opening the bag, moving the gear into another bag, and leaving quickly. And the timing worked in their favor. Wednesday is a busy setup day, and the press conference room had also flooded, so there were plenty of workers moving around. Two more people under the desks didn’t exactly stand out.

Not the First Theft at an F1 Media Center

According to Illman, this isn’t an isolated case. Two lockers were once emptied at Le Castellet, a long lens disappeared from the Hungaroring media center, and photographers have had their camera straps cut by thieves.

“It is a gutting thing to discover that the equipment you rely on for work has gone,” Illman writes. And sadly, we’ve reported on dozens of cases where photographers and videographers were robbed. Sometimes it was due to not paying attention for just a few seconds, and other times the thefts were way more sinister and terrifying.

After the F1 media center theft, Kym writes that people started locking their laptops away before leaving the room. It’s an expensive lesson, but it’s an important reminder that a press pass doesn’t make a room safe. So, if you’re stepping out, even for five minutes, take your gear with you or lock it up.

[via PetaPixel]

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