Lewis Hamilton described it as “amazing” to have girlfriend Kim Kardashian supporting him as he celebrated another impressive Ferrari performance. For the second consecutive race weekend, Hamilton claimed second place behind only championship leader Kimi Antonelli – securing his third podium appearance of the campaign.
And he achieved it with Kim present, who was attending a Formula 1 race for the first time since the pair began their relationship over the winter months. Kardashian was on the grid prior to the Grand Prix and observed the racing from the balcony overlooking the Ferrari garage with sister Khloe, before making her way down to join Ferrari personnel beneath the podium to witness her boyfriend spray the traditional champagne.
Hamilton has been reluctant to discuss their relationship within the F1 paddock. That’s despite the couple having been photographed together in public on numerous occasions in recent months, including visits to the Coachella music festival as well as several romantic breaks during non-race weekends.
But he ended his silence following Sunday’s podium ceremony, during which he was spotted blowing a kiss towards his partner. He said of the American reality television personality: “It’s amazing to have her come this weekend and to have that support. It’s amazing to have good people around you, good people supporting you, and she does that for me every day.”
Kardashian’s arrival caused quite a commotion in the paddock, with crowds jostling to snap pictures as she made her way around. She also blanked Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle during his traditional pre-race grid walk, with her security team waving him off as he attempted a courteous introduction.
Yet it proved nothing short of a triumphant day for Hamilton, who inherited second place after Max Verstappen was struck by an engine problem on the start line, going on to navigate a frantic race and bring his Ferrari safely home. “I think we’ve been progressing over the last few months,” beamed the delighted seven-time champion.
“We can’t quite keep up with [Mercedes] just yet, and it’s probably going to take a lot of work to get to their level, but to get another second place is such a great feeling. Especially in Monaco, under the trickiest conditions, it was the hardest conditions out there. We’ve had such a great turnout today as well. I’ll definitely take it.
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View 2 Images(Image: Mario Renzi, Formula 1 via Getty Images)
“I’m very, very thankful to my team because, coming from such a horrendous year last year, I’m finally in a position where I’m reigniting the passion and the belief they had in me when I first joined. After a really big slump last year, to come back up, it’s great to see the fight in them. They’ve done a fantastic job. We’ve got a lot of work to try to close that gap, though.”
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