Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham is clearly a very big fan of Lewis Hamilton, somebody she referred to as an “eight-time Champion” on the grid at the British Grand Prix.
She was interviewed on the grid ahead of the race at the Silverstone International Circuit by ex-F1 driver David Coulthard, as part of Channel 4’s build-up to the tenth round of the 2023 season.
Coulthard was thrilled to meet the actress, who recently hosted Eurovision in Liverpool.
“I’ve been binge-watching you! You’ve been making appearances everywhere,” Coulthard said to the actress on the grid.
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Waddingham responded: “Have you? I know people must be sick of the sight of me, I do apologise.”
She added: “I’ve waited a long time to be here and am I allowed to say that I’m very much looking forward to seeing Lewis Hamilton, eight-time champion?”
Coulthard replied by agreeing that Hamilton is a “legend of the sport”.
“You can say whatever you want!” Coulthard said. “I don’t think many people would disagree with that. He’s a legend of the sport.”
She replied: “I hope I get to meet him and give him a little curtsy.”
Waddingham calling Hamilton an “eight-time Champion” is, of course, a reference to the 2021 season finale, where a ‘human error’ by former race director Michael Masi saw the Mercedes driver lose the title.
In the closing laps of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Masi failed to follow the rulebook when bringing a late Safety Car to an end, something which effectively handed the race win and the championship to reigning World Champion Max Verstappen.
Had the rules been followed on that day at the Yas Marina Circuit, then Hamilton would currently be an eight-time World Champion and a 104-time race winner.
Channel 4 viewers loved Waddingham’s comment, with one fan having taken to social media to share that they loved “her causing chaos”.
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“Nah cause her saying Lewis Hamilton 8 time [world] champion is so good,” wrote a fan on Twitter.
“Love her causing chaos,” said another.
“Hannah Waddingham saying ‘Lewis Hamilton is an 8x champion’ on @C4F1… Being from Wandsworth my London neighbouring borough, I expect nothing less from her to tell it straight!” another fan commented.