More than 400,000 units of Formula 1-themed KitKats were stolen. The episode took place in Europe and totaled more than 12 tons of chocolates taken, but fortunately no one was injured.
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The popular Nestlé brand became an official partner of the category in the 2025 season and ended up expanding globally in 2026 – furthermore, Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto also had a partnership with the chocolates.
As part of this partnership between Formula 1 and KitKat, bars in the shape of F1 cars were created, being available for the public to buy in markets and stores.
“We are very happy to have such a recognized and fun brand like KitKat as our partner. They are loved by everyone and we can’t wait to see the fantastic experiences they will provide to our fans at the track and the new audiences they will introduce to the sport,” said Emily Prazer, Formula 1’s chief commercial officer, when the partnership was announced in late 2024.
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However, according to information from The Athletic, a truck traveling from Italy to Poland carrying more than 400,000 Formula 1-themed KitKats was stolen, but no one was hurt.
In a publicly released statement, a KitKat representative spoke about the theft with good humor. “We always encourage people to take a break with KitKat [the slogan is ‘have a break, have a KitKat’] — but it seems the thieves took the message very seriously and stole more than 12 tons of our chocolate,” they said.
“While we recognize the refined taste of the criminals, the fact is that cargo theft is a growing problem for companies of all sizes. With increasingly sophisticated schemes being implemented regularly, we have chosen to make our experience public in the hope of raising awareness about this increasingly common criminal trend,” they added.
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