Lewis Hamilton sent a tender public message to girlfriend Kim Kardashian from the Monaco Grand Prix podium on Sunday — blowing her a kiss as he collected his second-place trophy — just hours after the reality star had been widely condemned for blanking legendary Sky Sports reporter Martin Brundle on live television.
The moment, captured in a clip shared on the official F1 Instagram account, showed Hamilton, 41, lifting his trophy aloft after finishing behind 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli, before turning to blow a kiss in Kardashian’s direction. She responded with a beaming smile and applauded her partner as he stood on the podium alongside Antonelli, with Princess Charlene of Monaco presiding over the trophy presentation.
Kardashian, 45, watched from trackside in a cream figure-hugging dress with a daring backless cut, her dark hair swept into a chic updo with loose strands framing her face, completed with black heels and stylish shades. Her sister Khloe was again by her side in a satin cream dress with lace trim, the two having arrived at the circuit by boat through Monaco harbour on Saturday.
The tender podium moment arrived after a bruising few hours for Kardashian’s public image among Formula 1 fans. Before the race, Sky Sports veteran Martin Brundle — whose grid walk interviews have become one of the sport’s most beloved traditions — approached the Kardashian sisters as they stood watching the pre-race ceremony. Both women ignored him entirely, turning away toward their entourage without saying a word, in footage that was broadcast live to millions of viewers. Brundle, who finished on the F1 podium nine times across 12 seasons as a driver, also won the World Sports Car Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The reaction was fierce. “Kim Kardashian is not too good to talk to Martin Brundle. What a complete lack of class,” wrote one viewer. “Famous for absolutely nothing, can’t carry an umbrella herself and she ignores Martin when talented sports persons and international actors embrace him. She has no place on our grid,” said another. One wry observer noted: “Can’t believe Lewis didn’t give Kim Kardashian the talk about Martin Brundle royalty.”
The Monaco Grand Prix was Kardashian’s first race appearance since she and Hamilton went public with their relationship earlier this year. The couple, who have known each other for years, were first spotted checking into a Cotswolds hotel in late January before being seen together in Paris and later at the Super Bowl in February. They were photographed kissing for the first time in Malibu in April after a dip in the ocean, and have since appeared together at Coachella and on a Tokyo trip ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Hamilton has also met Kardashian’s four children — North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, eight, and Psalm, seven — whom she shares with ex-husband Kanye West. A source told People the introduction carried significant weight. “Kim’s very selective when it comes to the people she allows around her kids. The fact that Lewis has spent time with the kids reflects how much she trusts him.”
