Hamilton Cries Over Arsenal Title Ahead of Canadian GP: Montreal 2026

Key Points

• Hamilton’s Emotional Reaction: Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton admitted he shed a tear following Arsenal Football Club’s historic Premier League title victory.
• Childhood Allegiance: Hamilton revealed his support for the North London club began at five years old in Stevenage after his sister playfully forced him to support them.
• Arsenal Ends 22-Year Drought: Arsenal secured their first Premier League trophy in over two decades on Tuesday, capitalising on Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.
• Gasly Stirs PSG-Arsenal Rivalry: Alpine driver Pierre Gasly celebrated Paris Saint-Germain’s fifth consecutive Ligue 1 title and looked ahead to their upcoming Champions League clash with Arsenal.
• Perez’s World Cup Mission: Cadillac’s Sergio Perez vowed to fly mid-season from Europe to Mexico to watch his national team play on home soil in Guadalajara during the upcoming World Cup.
• Antonelli Laments Italy’s Absence: Championship leader Kimi Antonelli expressed his disappointment over Italy missing the World Cup, splitting his neutral support between Brazil and Lionel Messi.

Montreal (Extra London News) May 22, 2026 – Formula One drivers temporarily traded telemetry for team tactics on Thursday ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton admitted to shedding tears of joy over Arsenal’s historic Premier League title triumph. The paddock at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was dominated by football talk rather than lap times, sparked by Arsenal ending a 22-year championship drought earlier in the week. The emotional resonance of the title race set off a chain reaction of football discussion across the grid, with drivers opening up about European rivalries and high-stakes travel plans for the upcoming World Cup.

The sporting world stopped on Tuesday when Arsenal were mathematically confirmed as English champions, a feat triggered by a 1-1 draw between closest contenders Manchester City and Bournemouth. For Hamilton, who will drive for Ferrari next season, the victory was deeply personal, bridging his current global stardom with his formative years growing up in Hertfordshire. The breakthrough moment for the North London club quickly became the central talking point of the FIA’s official media day, prompting other drivers to voice their own footballing allegiances and ambitious international tournament travel plans.

Why Did Lewis Hamilton Cry Over Arsenal Winning the Premier League?

The emotional weight of Arsenal’s first league title since their unbeaten 2003-2004 season resonated heavily with Lewis Hamilton. The British driver explained that the triumph did not just represent a victory for his team, but instantly transported him back to his working-class upbringing in Stevenage, where his footballing identity was firmly established under unique family circumstances.

As reported by the tracking paddock journalists in Montreal, Hamilton candidly shared the depth of his reaction to the title confirmation. Hamilton stated that:

“I shed a tear, to be honest. I remember being five years old, playing football around the corner in Stevenage. I was the only Black kid in the area and everyone supported West Ham (United), Tottenham (Hotspur), or Manchester United.”

The multi-time champion further detailed the exact moment his allegiance to the Gunners was forged, attributing his lifelong fandom to a moment of sibling coercion. Hamilton added that:

“She (his sister) gave me a little dig in the arm and said, ‘You have to support Arsenal.’ We had a laugh about that the other day.”

How Did Pierre Gasly Ignite the Next Big Football Rivalry in the F1 Paddock?

The celebratory mood from the British contingent was met with quick-witted resistance further down the pitlane. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was quick to pivot the conversation toward French football dominance and a looming European heavyweight collision that will see his home team face Hamilton’s beloved Arsenal.

Gasly, whose team has faced an uphill battle on the track this year, found solace in the domestic dominance of his football club. Paris Saint-Germain secured their fifth successive Ligue 1 title last week, mathematically wrapping up the French league following a convincing 2-0 away victory against their nearest competitive challengers, Lens.

Looking forward to the highly anticipated Champions League fixture scheduled for next week between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, the French driver made his allegiances clear. As reported by paddock reporters covering the team media sessions, Gasly quipped that:

“I’m glad we started talking about real stuff.”

He expressed high expectations for the cross-Channel fixture, ensuring there was no ambiguity regarding who he would be backing. Gasly stated that:

“I’ll obviously be rooting for PSG, and hopefully they can bring in a second Champions League.”

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What Extreme Measures Is Sergio Perez Taking to Watch the World Cup?

While European club football dominated the early discussions, the conversation quickly expanded to international football, with Cadillac’s Sergio Perez revealing the extraordinary logistical lengths he is willing to go to support his country. With the World Cup approaching, the Mexican driver is planning an intense trans-Atlantic itinerary to witness history on home turf.

A selection of matches for the tournament are scheduled to be played in Perez’s native city of Guadalajara, creating a conflict between his gruelling Formula One race schedule in Europe and his desire to support the Mexican national team.

As reported by Latin American and global motorsport correspondents, Perez stated that:

“I literally have to come just for the game and then go back to Europe. We will make it happen.”

Despite the historic struggles of the national team on the world stage, the Cadillac driver remains optimistic that home-field advantage could spark an unprecedented run for Mexico. Perez added that:

“It’s a World Cup at home. Anything can happen.”

Who Will Kimi Antonelli Support at the World Cup with Italy Out?

The absence of traditional football powerhouses from major tournaments also hung over the paddock discussions. Current Formula One championship leader Kimi Antonelli found himself in a difficult position as an Italian national, forced to look outside his homeland for a team to support during the upcoming summer tournament.

Italy’s failure to qualify for the tournament has left sports fans across the nation devastated, a sentiment that the teenage Mercedes driver openly shared. However, the young phenomenon has managed to find alternative sources of excitement in the tournament, focusing his admiration on specific footballing cultures and an iconic individual player.

As reported by journalists attending the Mercedes press scrum, Antonelli stated that:

“I do really like Brazil, for example, the way they play the game. But again, I’m also cheering for Messi, one of my favourite players when I was little, and also I got to meet him in Miami.”

Confronting the reality of his own country’s footballing misfortunes, the championship leader did not hide his disappointment regarding the Italian national team’s trajectory. Antonelli added that: “Italy is not in it, unfortunately. So we’re going to wait another four years, maybe. It’s a disaster, but it’s okay.”

How Are F1 Drivers Balancing Football Passions with the Canadian Grand Prix?

The sudden influx of football talk underscores a growing trend within the Formula One paddock, where elite drivers increasingly look to external sporting passions to cope with the immense mental pressures of a record-breaking global race calendar. The transition from talking about tyre degradation to discussing European football titles offers a rare glimpse into the personal lives of the athletes behind the visors.

For Hamilton, the emotional release of Arsenal’s title comes at a pivotal moment in his career as he prepares for his final chapter with Mercedes before moving to Maranello. For younger drivers like Antonelli, managing the burdens of leading a world championship means finding joy in childhood idols like Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, veteran presence Perez demonstrates that even the strict, corporate world of modern motorsport cannot completely suppress the raw passion of a home World Cup.

As the race weekend in Montreal progresses, the conversations will inevitably shift back to DRS zones, apex speeds, and the unpredictable Canadian weather. However, for one Thursday afternoon in the pit lane, the sound of roaring V6 turbo-hybrid engines was entirely drowned out by the roar of the football terraces.