The Formula One Monaco Grand Prix is an unmissable event for most celebrities around the world and Conor McGregor was one of the stars to flock to Monte Carlo for qualifying on Saturday.
But it was the UFC legend’s unexpected friendship with Haas driver Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, that caught the eye — and left sports fans baffled in equal measure about the unusual match-up, reports The Daily Star.
The Dubliner has been living it up this week after attending the Cannes Film Festival with his finacée Dee Devlin and was pictured alongside singer Kylie Minogue at the glamorous event in France.
And it seems the 33-year-old, currently ranked eighth in the UFC rankings, was enjoying his down time as he stepped into the Haas garage to meet Schumacher.
Schumacher is doing his best to launch his own career that is not overshadowed by his father’s achievements. However, the 23-year-old is currently in his second season in F1 and is yet to score a world championship point in 27 race starts, which makes his apparent friendship with McGregor even more puzzling.
McGregor, dressed in a jazzy blue and pink floral shirt with a silk material, posed alongside the German driver in the pit lane to leave F1 fans scratching their heads as to how their meeting came about.
Twitter user Dhav described it as the “most random picture I've seen”, while another tweeted: “What crossover is this”. Thomas Cubbitt combined both thoughts by writing: “Wtf is that pic got to be the most random crossover between sports and individuals.”
McGregor was not the only athlete present with Chelsea star Mason Mount and Manchester City's Phil Foden present in the Red Bull garage. They were watching on from the famous Monaco paddock as Charles Leclerc took his second consecutive pole at his home grand prix.
The Monegasque took pole last year before a gearbox issue prevented him from starting the 2021 race. But the Ferrari driver ensured he would be in the best position to land his maiden triumph around the streets he calls home after punching in an incredible a 1:11.3 lap time ahead of his Scuderia team-mate Carlos Sainz.
The Spaniard was fortunate to avoid serious injury after crashing into Sergio Perez at the Portier corner, after the Red Bull had hit the wall just seconds earlier. Perez’s crash brought out the red flag, ensuring he starts ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen who could only qualify fourth.
Mercedes endured another tough qualifying session, with George Russell starting in P6 ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who is down in eighth.
Given the difficulty of overtaking at this circuit, seven-time world champion Hamilton faces a real battle to secure significant points in Monaco after a disappointing start to the season.
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