Lewis Hamilton was visibly emotional over Arsenal's Premier League title triumph — and he's not apologising for it. "I shed a tear, to be honest," the Ferrari driver said ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, linking the moment to a childhood memory in Stevenage where his sister physically nudged him into supporting the Gunners. "She gave me a little dig in the arm and said, 'You have to support Arsenal.'"
That loyalty just paid off with a first league title in 22 years, confirmed on Tuesday after Manchester City dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth. For a generation of Arsenal supporters, it's been a long, often maddening wait. Hamilton is one of them.
Gasly's got a different view from the pitlane
Alpine's Pierre Gasly wasn't offering any sympathy. The Frenchman declared himself a committed PSG supporter ahead of next week's Champions League semi-final against Arsenal, and kept it suitably sharp: "I'm glad we started talking about real stuff."
PSG won their fifth straight Ligue 1 title last week — a 2-0 away win over Lens — and Gasly is expecting a "fantastic game of football" when they face the newly-crowned English champions. "I'll obviously be rooting for PSG, and hopefully they can bring in a second Champions League," he said.
Arsenal go into that tie as champions of England, riding a wave of momentum that will harden their odds slightly. PSG, though, have shown they know how to win tournaments this season. That semi-final just got a more compelling storyline.
World Cup loyalties split across the paddock
Further down the pitlane, Sergio Perez confirmed he's planning a mid-season dash back to Mexico to catch his country's World Cup matches in Guadalajara. "I literally have to come just for the game and then go back to Europe. We will make it happen."
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, meanwhile, is navigating the World Cup without a horse in the race — Italy didn't qualify. He admitted a soft spot for Brazil and Lionel Messi, who he met in Miami. "It's a disaster, but it's okay," Antonelli said of Italy's absence. That's about as diplomatic as it gets.
