When Kim Kardashian walked away from the Monaco Grand Prix with a souvenir that wasn’t actually hers, she inadvertently launched one of Formula 1’s most delightful social media moments of the season.
The culprit: a towel. Not just any towel, but the winner’s towel swiped by Kardashian—who was there supporting Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton—after Sunday’s race. Television footage appeared to show her picking the folded item off the number one marker and wiping her face and sunglasses before casually strolling off with it. The theft became an instant gag, with Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old Mercedes driver and current F1 leader, repeatedly asking about his missing towel across social media. It’s the kind of lighthearted drama that gives racing fans something to laugh about between practice sessions.
But here’s where it gets good: Mercedes turned the whole thing into a moment. At practice for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on June 13, the team posted a video of Antonelli asking his team for the missing towel in the garage. Then came the payoff. He was handed a replacement—embroidered with the words “To Kimi from Kim.” The gesture came from Kardashian herself, delivered through Lewis Hamilton’s celebrity circle. “Thank you Kim,” Antonelli said, draping it around his neck with a smile.
What makes this story resonate isn’t just the humor, though there’s plenty of that. It’s a reminder that Formula 1 is increasingly blending high-speed competition with pop culture accessibility. Kardashian’s appearance at Monaco, her accidental theft, and the eventual replacement towel gave the sport a human, relatable edge. Meanwhile, Antonelli—who’s chasing his sixth consecutive win heading into Sunday’s race at the Circuit de Catalunya—has become the kind of young talent who can laugh at himself when a famous face makes off with his gear.
In an era where F1 is constantly working to expand its fanbase beyond traditional racing enthusiasts, these moments matter. They’re shareable, they’re fun, and they humanize the drivers behind the helmets. Sometimes the best PR isn’t a carefully crafted campaign—it’s a missing towel and a celebrity quick enough to turn it into a joke instead of a problem.
