Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted striking a pose with Formula 1 bad boy Nikita Mazepin during a workout in Dubai.
The Manchester United talisman has jetted off across the world with the Premier League currently on hold during its mid-season winter break.
And the 36-year-old might feel he needs to recharge after a year of madness in Manchester with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer getting the sack and streams of reports over a despondent dressing room.
As usual, Ronaldo is often in the limelight and this campaign has been no exception with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner taking a swipe at the young players only to act petulantly days later when taken off as a substitution against Brentford earlier this month.
Perhaps the stress is getting to the usually-pristine superstar and he has taken some time to cool his jets after flying off to Dubai.
But the best do not rest and Ronaldo has been keeping himself fit in a mystery gym – where he was greeted by controversial figure Mazepin.
As well as sipping cocktails on the beach and enjoying beach massages, the veteran frontman has been pumping iron along with the Formula 1 ace.
In what can be best described as an outside gym, the pair shared a photo with Mazepin looking pleased as punch.
The 22-year-old wrote on Instagram : "Best gym session this year so far @cristiano, M" – which saw Ronaldo reply with a fist-bump emoji.
The Haas-Ferrari driver might be best keeping his head down after a series of controversial incidents that have dented his reputation.
The son of Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin, Nikita is in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
Two months ago, footage emerged of the F1 bad boy arguing with nightclub bouncers in Mexico City – later denying that he had been thrown out earlier that night.
He has also apologised after filming himself groping a woman’s breast in the back of a car before sharing it online.
It led to criticism from his team, Haas, who blasted his “abhorrent” behaviour while a social media campaign was led against him with the hashtag #WeSayNoToMazepin.
What conversation Mazepin and Ronaldo had in Dubai remains a mystery yet the F1 driver may have to tone down his lifestyle if he wants a future in the sport.
United return to action next month on February 4 when they face Middlesbrough in the FA Cup before taking on Burnley four days later at Turf Moor.
