A Texas businessman filed legal action against Liberty Media and the operators of the Formula 1 racetrack in Austin, Circuit of the Americas (COTA), alleging they failed to protect patrons from a criminal gang targeting high-profile watches at the F1 Grand Prix of the United States.
The Richard Mille watch that was allegedly stolen by a gang at the F1 race in Austin.
(Photo courtesy of Nicholas Saady, plaintiff’s lawyer)
Dean Whitlock alleges his Richard Mille RM 65-01 Split-Seconds Chronograph “LeBron James” was forcibly taken from his wrist by a group of thieves at the F1 race in October 2025. The theft occurred the day after another racegoer had their Richard Mille watch stolen by the same group of thieves at the event, the lawsuit, filed in the District Court of Travis County, Texas, alleges.
A spokesperson for Formula 1, the racing series controlled by Liberty Media Corporation, declined to comment. Media representatives of the Circuit Of The Americas LLC did not respond to a request for comment. The companies have yet to respond to the lawsuit, which seeks “more than $200,000 but not more than $1,000,000” in damages and states that it will cost approximately $750,000 to replace the specific timepiece, according to secondary market values.
The case underscores the rising number of targeted luxury watch thefts in some regions. It raises questions as to who is responsible for personal security when someone wears a wristwatch valued at more than half a million dollars at a public event attended by hundreds of thousands.
Circuit of the Americas.
Whitlock’s lawyer, Nicholas Saady, said his client was a guest of the Richard Mille brand at the event and was seated in the Paddock Club area designated for VIPs. The watch, which cost about $440,000 at retail, was stolen as Whitlock exited the venue on the afternoon of October 19, 2025.
According to the petition filed in the Texas court, “as Plaintiff was pushed through the crowd, he heard a man yelling but could not make out what he said. Suddenly, a group of people in Red Bull Racing shirts and Ferrari hats pushed Plaintiff. A woman then fell directly in front of Plaintiff, and Plaintiff attempted to assist her to her feet, concerned that she could be injured in the chaotic crush of people. However, when Plaintiff attempted to assist the woman, she forcibly grabbed his arm, and other members of the group ripped the watch from his wrist and disappeared into the crowd.”
The suit alleges that, the day before, on October 18, 2025, another race attendee had their Richard Mille watch stolen by a gang using the same methods. This victim reported the incident to COTA security and made a police report about the attack, “putting COTA and F1 on clear notice of this attack,” the suit claims.
Richard Mille RM 65-01 Split-Seconds Chronograph “LeBron James”
“What makes this case unique and particularly strong is the immediately preceding robbery the day prior of the same brand of watch,” Saady, Whitlock’s lawyer, said in an interview. While his watch was allegedly stolen by the gang and he suffered bruising and scratches during the incident, Whitlock was able to restrain the woman who had fallen in front of him, whom he claims was part of the plot. The suit says it took as long as 30 minutes for security to arrive after the robbery. The woman was charged with assault and theft, but the watch has not been recovered.
Shortly after the attack, another man approached Whitlock and informed him that he was the man yelling before the attack, and that he had been yelling at the group because he recognized them as the same persons who had attacked him the day before, wearing Red Bull Racing shirts and Ferrari hats and stolen his Richard Mille watch.
The lawsuit alleges that F1, Liberty Media and COTA failed to warn guests of the race that a criminal gang, targeting luxury watch owners, was operating at the crowded venue, even though they had knowledge of the incident.
Richard Mille RM 65-01 Split-Seconds Chronograph “LeBron James”
The suit also cites other incidents of Richard Mille watch thefts at F1 or F1-related events, including one at the Miami Grand Prix and another involving a Richard Mille stolen from former NFL player Jason Pierre-Paul, also in Florida. Richard Mille has a deep association with F1 and sponsors two of the sport’s most high-profile teams, Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren. The brand declined to comment for this story.
Gregory Wirtz, a lawyer and watch enthusiast not involved in the case, says many in the watch community can spot a Richard Mille in the crowd and so could the thieves. “Assuming the allegations in the petition in Whitlock v. COTA are accurate, the defendants had received specific notice of a criminal attack targeting RM timepieces at their events. In light of that knowledge, and the near-identical nature and proximity of the attacks, the plaintiff may be able to show that the attack on the plaintiff was foreseeable,” Wirtz says.
Whitlock has filed an insurance claim in the case, but his lawyer, Saady, says there is no insurance to cover the full cost of replacing the watch. We’ll be sure to update this story as the case proceeds and the defendants respond to the allegations.
