Before the Monaco GP last weekend, not many knew what an F1 fanatic Neymar Jr. was. It looks like the Brazilian star forward hasn’t had enough of the on-track action just yet. The race weekend in Spain hasn’t even kicked off yet and Neymar is already there. Yesterday, Lewis Hamilton made it worth his time by fulfilling one of his lifelong dreams. Now, it seems like the soccer icon is ready to completely ditch Red Bull, his favorite team after meeting Mercedes’ junior driver, George Russell.
Being one of the most sought-after sports stars, let alone in soccer, Neymar had access to the grid ahead of the start of the race in Monaco. In one of the interviews during the grid walk, he revealed his favorite driver to be Hamilton and his favorite team to be Red Bull. He also told how he is great friends with Hamilton. However, the Briton, who was probably in the zone before the race, gave him a cold shoulder when Neymar approached him.
Neymar Jr. ditches Red Bull after meeting George Russell
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Hamilton made it up for his mistake in Monaco by giving Neymar once in a lifetime experience. In 2020, F1 posted a video on Facebook where Neymar was shadow-practicing driving an F1 car. Well, now he knows what it feels like to sit in the cockpit of an actual F1 car, which, by the way, can cost as high as $15 million (as per Sportingnews.com). Hamilton arranged for it when Neymar reached his garage a day before the start of the free practice.
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While there, the Brazilian also met Lewis’ teammate George. The PSG forward, despite being a Red Bull fan, got quite the VIP treatment in the Mercedes garage. George posted a picture with Neymar on his Instagram with the caption, “Nice to meet you, @neymarjr!”
Neymar reciprocated the gesture by sharing the post on his Instagram Story and wrote, “Nice to meet u.”
Last week, Neymar had quite the company to enjoy the race with. Former tennis star, Maria Sharapova, who herself has become a paddock regular was there to accompany him. Masha too posted a series of pictures on her Twitter and Neymar featured in one of those.
Neymar’s F1 antics not going down well at PSG
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PSG recently won the Ligue 1 and naturally, it called for celebrations. Neymar, however, isn’t enjoying the best rapport with his coach Christophe Galtier and the club’s management. The team had some celebrations planned but Neymar gave it a miss. This, reportedly, hasn’t pleased the PSG top brass.
As per a report from Goal.com, Galtier tried to play down the feud citing Neymar’s mobility issues as the reason for his absence. Behind the scenes, however, things aren’t as cordial. As per French media outlet L’Equipe, the club’s management saw Neymar’s absence as an act of “provocation”.
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Watch This Story: Despite Recent $1 Million Loss, Neymar Jr Spotted Gambling at the 2023 Monaco GP
The Brazilian is now here in Barcelona, ready to attend yet another GP in two weeks. Do you think this will irk the PSG top brass once again?