Thieves Take $30,000 of Canon Gear From F1 Photographer in Mexico City

A Formula 1 photographer lost roughly $30,000 in camera equipment to thieves inside the F1 media center at the Mexico Grand Prix this weekend, with security footage showing two men disguised as wiring installers emptying his bag.

The victim, an Australian photographer identified as Ryan, had left his camera bag in the media center on the Wednesday before the race, before the facility was fully operational. He stepped out alongside several other photographers. When he returned just five minutes later, the bag felt suspiciously light.

Fellow photographer and social media figure Kym Illman recounted the moment on his blog: "Initially, he thought his mates were playing a joke, but it turns out he was robbed of two cameras and a range of lenses worth tens of thousands of dollars."

What exactly was stolen?

The thieves took two Canon R1 camera bodies — Canon's flagship mirrorless body and the standard working tool for motorsport shooters — along with three lenses:

• a 100-300mm telephoto
• an 85mm prime
• a 14-35mm wide-angle zoom

Illman calculates the total loss at approximately $30,000. For a working sports photographer, that haul represents not a luxury kit but the core glass and bodies needed to cover a race weekend from pit lane to podium.

How did the thieves operate?

Interior security cameras at the media center recorded two men who appeared to be installing wiring under the desks. In reality, they were rummaging through Ryan's camera bag and lifting the cameras and lenses. Exterior cameras caught the same pair sprinting away from the building.

The timing gave them cover. On the Wednesday, tradespeople were still building out the media center, and flooding had affected the press conference room, so workmen moving through the space drew no suspicion. The F1 media center opens to accredited press at every circuit, and each event has a unique setup; photographers often get their own area separate from written and visual media staff.

Is theft at F1 races common?

Illman, who documented the incident in detail, calls it a "painful reminder about equipment security" and says this is far from an isolated case. He lists prior incidents directly:

• At Le Castellet — the Paul Ricard Circuit in France — two lockers were completely emptied on one occasion.
• A long lens was taken from the Hungaroring media center.
• Photographers have had camera straps cut to steal cameras outright.

Illman adds that discovering your working kit has been stolen is devastating for any photographer who relies on that equipment to earn a living.

What changed in the aftermath?

The effect on the press room was immediate. "After the theft [in Mexico], people were taking greater care to lock away laptops before leaving the room," Illman says. Laptops went into lockers whenever owners stepped out, and everyone grew noticeably more alert.

The practical lesson for accredited shooters heading into future grands prix is blunt: a familiar working environment does not make unattended equipment safe, and race-week build-out days — when contractors and tradespeople legitimately fill the media center — are precisely when gear is most exposed. As F1's calendar keeps expanding, photographers will need to treat the media center not as a secure backroom but as public ground.