Kim Kardashian and Andrea Kimi Antonelli met again at the Singapore Grand Prix, giving the unusual towel incident that began in Monte Carlo another light-hearted chapter. After the controversy surrounding their first Formula 1 encounter, Kardashian immediately joked with the Mercedes driver about avoiding a repeat of the mistake.
The social media star had travelled to Singapore to follow her boyfriend Lewis Hamilton, who finished sixth, and also used the opportunity to smooth things over after what had proved to be a difficult introduction to the Formula 1 paddock. Her earlier appearance had attracted criticism, including from partners of other drivers, after she unknowingly took a towel intended for Andrea Kimi Antonelli following a podium ceremony.
How the Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Kim Kardashian towel incident began
The original episode took place after Andrea Kimi Antonelli had been on the podium. Kim Kardashian, unfamiliar with some of Formula 1’s post-race routines, used a towel that had been left nearby after she was sprayed with champagne during the celebrations.
The problem was that the towel was reserved for the drivers who had reached the podium rather than guests passing through the area. Andrea Kimi Antonelli was therefore left without his towel after stepping down from the podium, and the incident quickly became a source of jokes, including from Mercedes.
The episode also generated considerable reaction among Formula 1 fans, who criticised Kardashian for not understanding the paddock protocol. By the time she arrived in Singapore, however, she was clearly aware that the story had taken on a life of its own.
Kim Kardashian jokes with Andrea Kimi Antonelli in Singapore
This time, Kim Kardashian was prepared. When she met Andrea Kimi Antonelli in Singapore, she immediately referenced the previous incident and jokingly raised her hands as if to demonstrate that she would stay away from his towel.
“No, Kimi, this time I don’t dare touch your towel,” Kim Kardashian told the Italian driver, prompting smiles from the people around them as they remembered the controversy that had started several months earlier.
The meeting added another lighter moment to the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix weekend, where Andrea Kimi Antonelli was competing for Mercedes while Lewis Hamilton endured a more difficult race with Ferrari.
A personalised towel had already helped settle the story
Kim Kardashian had actually issued a more formal apology several weeks after the original incident, before the Barcelona Grand Prix. She surprised Andrea Kimi Antonelli by giving him a towel featuring personalised embroidery.
The Mercedes driver may have approached her in Singapore partly to thank her, but the meeting instead became what effectively amounted to a third chapter of the so-called Towel-gate story. This time, there was no new controversy, and Kardashian also avoided the criticism that had followed her first Formula 1 appearance, including her earlier interaction with a journalist whom she had appeared to ignore.
The Singapore meeting came during a weekend in which Andrea Kimi Antonelli again featured prominently on track. The Mercedes driver eventually finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the Singapore Grand Prix, while the seven-time world champion finished sixth after a difficult conclusion to his race.
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