It wouldn’t be a Grand Prix without an awkward Martin Brundle encounter on the grid now, would it?
As for the latest culprit, it’s none other than Kim Kardashian, who showed up in Monaco to support her man, Lewis Hamilton.
The Skims founder and reality star, 45, put in a glam appearance this weekend with her sister, Khloé, 41, as Formula 1 champ Lewis took on his first race since going public with their romance.
Of course, Sky Sports presenter Martin has become a staple at such events, often approaching A-listers on the grid and trying to coax an interview out of them… typically to no avail.
Walking up to Kim, who looked typically stylish in a figure-hugging beige dress and oversized shades, Martin introduced himself, asking: ‘How are you today?’
While he directed the microphone at Kim, all she did was smile politely before turning her head away.
The cringe factor increased, though, as Martin kept going… and Kim kept ignoring.
As the camera focused on Kim, he was heard saying, ‘You don’t need to push me, mate,’ having seemingly made the wrong first impression with her security team.
‘Normally, people will have a quick chat with us,’ he then explained to Kim, whose security guard began whispering in her ear, most likely informing her what was going on, which led to a slight wave in Martin’s direction.
‘Are you enjoying F1?’, he probed.
Blanking Martin with ease, Kim continued chatting to Khloé as their bodyguards held up umbrellas to shield them from the sun.
‘OK, Kim and Khloé, so we’re not talking today,’ Martin said, admitting defeat, adding that he’d been ‘led to believe they might do’ at some point.
Naturally, it didn’t take long for the toe-curling moment to go viral, with X users refusing to hold back with their thoughts on Kim’s attitude.
@tonycasula7 called her ‘entitled’, while @60Hoppy argued it was ‘very rude not to even acknowledge him’.
‘so this isn’t cool at all Kimberly’, tweeted @kamvag_.
Where do you stand?
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Kim was rude
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She didn’t have to give an interview
@ChrisBrownSport declared the cringe-worthy encounter ‘TV gold’, while@bylecs said Martin had been ‘disrespected’.
However, some did defend Kim, with @eurofounder insisting that she shouldn’t be ‘obliged to talk to him’.
‘Obviously she can’t hear Martin with all the background noise!’, wrote @Owen_OTA.
@PaulaDyer16orig added that Kim was caught between ‘a rock and a hard place’, as she would’ve been ‘ripped to shreds and caused headlines’ if she did agree to be interviewed.
‘Sir Lewis is the one it’s all about on race day,’ stated the fan.
@MissOoo1g echoed: ‘There’s never been an expectation WAGS will take interviews, no matter how audacious Brundle is or how famous Kim is, nobody is entitled to force the drivers loved ones onto camera. Lets keep it that way’.
Rumours started swirling that Kim was romantically entangled with 41-year-old British racing driver Lewis in February when they were spotted on a romantic retreat in the Cotswolds.
At the time, the pair, who had already been friends for many years, were reported to have had a couple’s massage followed by dinner in a private room at luxury hotel Estelle Manor.
Onlookers said Kim was keen to keep her presence ‘low-key’, as security rushed her inside, the celeb couple ‘clearly wanting time just for themselves’.
The desire for privacy didn’t last long, though, as Kim and Lewis stepped out together later that month for the Super Bowl.
Deep in conversation, it’s fair to say they had the look of love, with lip-reading expert Nicola Hickling telling the Daily Mail that Lewis appeared keen to take the next step already.
‘No, I don’t take just any girl to my mum. I mean, you’re gonna meet her someday. She is very excited to see you,’ he is believed to have told her, to which Kim replied with a simple ‘OK’.
Weeks later, however, Lewis had a much sharper tongue when reportedly asked about the relationship in Bahrain for the first testing week ahead of the new F1 season.
The seven-time world champion was approached by reporter Ted Kravitz, who later responded to viewers’ claims he had ‘chickened out’ of asking about his new girlfriend.
Journalist Ted revealed that Lewis had already been asked directly whether he enjoyed his company more than the game itself at the Super Bowl, to which he said firmly: ‘It’s my private life. I’m not talking about that.’
‘So that’s me told,’ Ted quipped, deciding not to press any further.
In the months since, Kim and Lewis have gone Instagram-official, involving him leaving a flirty comment underneath one of her posts.
They also holidayed together in Tokyo with Kim’s four kids from her marriage to Kanye West (North, 12, Chicago, eight, Saint, 10, and Psalm, seven), with a source telling People that it shows ‘how much she trusts him’.
Insiders have claimed Kim is ‘very selective’ with who she introduces to her children, proving she and Lewis are going strong.
They added that Kim ‘never wanted to rush anything’ in the blossoming romance, but she’s now ‘very happy with where things are’ and thinks Lewis is ‘a great guy’.
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