Leila, 3, gets inside scoop on Hamilton and Bottas' likes
As Formula One racers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas are no strangers to interviews and press conferences.
But nothing could have prepared them for yesterday's interview by 3-year-old Leila McKay at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas drivers' meet-and-greet session at Suntec City.
Ahead of Sunday's Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix, the Australian took the stage dressed for the occasion, fully decked in a Mercedes-AMG Petronas race suit, as she got the inside scoop on the drivers' favourite foods and animals.
For the record, Hamilton's favourite animal is the panda, while Bottas likes dogs. Both drivers told her their favourite food is chocolates after she shared chocolate biscuits Tim Tam with them.
Before she took the stage, she had caught the eye of defending world champion Hamilton, who excitedly waved at her.
The 33-year-old made sure to keep a memory of their meeting by taking a photograph with his young interviewer and posting it on his social media.
It was an unforgettable experience for her parents Lisa and David McKay, who are fervent Formula One and Lewis Hamilton fans.
Speaking to The New Paper after the event, her mother said: "She's grown up watching it and really enjoys it. She can pretty much name all the drivers."
She added that before the event, Leila's excitement over the prospect of meeting two of her favourite drivers had been uncontainable.
Leila was one of the many fans who had the chance to meet their idols yesterday.
Hamilton and Bottas, 29, were greeted rapturously by a huge crowd of fans who were clad in Mercedes-AMG Petronas apparel, armed with posters and pens to get autographs and pictures with the duo.
Among the fans was 19-year-old Angolan Rui Silva and his family, all of whom are fans of Mercedes.
While his family members stay in Singapore, Silva, who is a university student in Portugal, flew in specially to catch the Singapore race.
His father Hermelgildo had brought a shirt with a picture of him together with Hamilton printed on it.
Last year, the family remained undeterred when they could not get tickets to the race and headed out to the Singapore Flyer at 3am to meet their idol.
Their second encounter with Hamilton was no less exciting for the family who were brimming with joy.
Silva, who was in slight disbelief, said: "It's special. We are big fans of Hamilton. I just saw him on TV and now I've got a photo with him."
The drivers were positive ahead of Sunday's race, following last week's success at the Italian Grand Prix where Hamilton and Bottas finished first and third respectively.
Hamilton, who won last year's Singapore Grand Prix, said: "You have to imagine that that race had a psychological effect on the team and for our team, it was a confidence boost.
" I definitely think this weekend, there's more energy within our team."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
