Hannah Waddingham sparks controversy with loaded Lewis Hamilton comment at British GP

Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham apparently said what a lot of Formula 1 fans were thinking as she made reference to a controversy surrounding Lewis Hamilton during the British Grand Prix.

The actor and Eurovision host spoke with Channel 4's David Coulthard on the ground at Silverstone yesterday (9 July), as drivers including Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris all sought to be crowned winner.

Channel 4

Waddingham was among dozens of celebs at the event, but Coulthard decided to stop her for a chat after her numerous recent TV appearances.

“I’ve been binge-watching you!" the presenter admitted as he stopped Waddingham. "You’ve been making appearances everywhere."

Waddingham responded: “Have you? I know people must be sick of the sight of me, I do apologise.”

The actor went on to say that Hamilton was one of the drivers she was most excited to see, saying: "I’ve waited a long time to be here."

If you're only a mild fan of racing, you might not see any issue with Waddingham's next comment.

Dan Mullan/Getty

But if you follow it more closely, you'll probably clock exactly what she was making reference to when she said: "Am I allowed to say that I’m very much looking forward to seeing Lewis Hamilton, eight-time champion?”

Technically, Hamilton is only a seven-time world champion. It's obviously a massive achievement, but it means that rather than holding the record for the most championship wins, Hamilton is actually tied with Germany’s Michael Schumacher.

However, some people believe Hamilton should be an eight-time winner after the championship in 2021.

He had been on track to win, but was denied the title when Michael Masi, race director, decided to allow a number of lapped drivers to unlap themselves while behind a safety car.

As a result, Verstappen took the lead and beat Hamilton to the finish line on the last lap of the last race.

Twitter/@jonwillchambers

So while Waddingham was technically incorrect in calling Hamilton an 'eight-time champion', Coulthard didn't correct her.

Instead, he responded: “You can say whatever you want! I don’t think many people would disagree with that. He’s a legend of the sport.”

The presenter appeared to be right, as Twitter users flooded Waddingham with support after her loaded comment.

"Hannah Waddingham calling Lewis Hamilton a 8 time world champ live on channel 4.... oh my days I LOVE HER. #BritishGP," one person wrote.

Another commented: "We already knew she was golden but saying 8 time world champion Lewis Hamilton puts Hannah Waddingham in a new league. Hero."

Waddingham went on to describe Hamilton as 'just phenomenal', adding: "I hope I get to meet him and give him a little curtsy."

It was Max Verstappen who took the win at the British Grand Prix yesterday, resulting in his sixth win in a row.