Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff sidestepped a question regarding whether Lewis Hamilton is currently dating Colombian singer Shakira, even though he failed to conceal his smile while answering.
Hamilton and Shakira have been seen together in a public setting on a couple of occasions in recent weeks and there is a rumour going around that the two are seeing each other after the 46-year-old pop star’s relationship with Gerard Pique broke down.
While neither Hamilton nor Shakira have commented on the nature of their relationship, it has not stopped media outlets from getting to the bottom on this mystery.
“I don’t know anything about that,” Wolff told Osterreich newspaper.
Wolff was naturally aware that Shakira had made the trip to his team’s F1 garage recently and when pressed on the topic, he claimed to be oblivious over Hamilton’s relationship status.
“I didn’t see anything. I was just looking at my screen,” Wolff said with a smile.
While the season hasn’t gone as per Mercedes’ initial plans, the Silver Arrows have been resurgent in recent weeks and Hamilton ended the Canadian Grand Prix on the podium, behind trailblazer Max Verstappen and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
Verstappen has been in such control at the top of the standings that few can see anyone but the Red Bull driver claim a third consecutive world championship.
His dominance on the track was even more obvious on a wet Montreal circuit.
Red Bull technical advisor Helmut Marko explained the sort of form that Verstappen currently finds himself in.
“He doesn’t even need a warm-up. He pulls out of the pitlane and where the others need three laps, he doesn’t even need one. Hats off to him,” Marko said.
Marko was right in predicting that Alonso will be Verstappen’s main challenger in Montreal, but such has been the overall prowess of the RB19 that the Spaniard finished almost 10 seconds behind in second position.
“As it looks like it at the moment, it will be Alonso again,” Marko had said when asked who is likeliest to challenge Verstappen during the race.