Pedro de la Rosa once shared a fond memory he had with Lewis Hamilton. Back in 2007, Hamilton was just another rookie on the F1 paddock with other drivers who were much more popular than him. However, that gradually changed as the years went by.

In 2007, Pedro de la Rosa and Lewis Hamilton were at a restaurant where a married couple recognized the Briton and wanted a picture with him. Hamilton was quite surprised and asked them whether they knew De la Rosa, but they refused and only came to them because of him. The Spaniard narrated the story:

“I remember being in Malaysia testing after the race in 2007. We were having dinner and suddenly a British married couple was sitting next to us and they recognised Lewis.”

He further said:

“Back then, he was not really well known. They wanted to take a picture and he said: ‘Do you know me, or do you know Pedro?’ And they said, ‘No, no, we know you. We don’t know Pedro.’ He was a bit surprised. He was so modest. He invited them to our table. We were having a coffee together and I am pretty sure for that married couple it was the best present for their honeymoon, you know?”

Later on, he appreciated Lewis Hamilton for being such a humble person right from the start. The Briton was simply unable to believe that the couple came to him instead of De la Rosa, who was much older and established in F1. Whenever the Spaniard sees Hamilton, he always remembers the innocent rookie he used to be back in the day. He said:

“That was Lewis when he came into F1. He was truly refreshing. He was really nice. I’m not in contact with him on a regular basis now because I am not attending the races. But when I see him, I feel that it is the same Lewis, and he is the sweet boy I met when I was at McLaren and he was a kid.”

Max Verstappen believes Lewis Hamilton and other drivers could win a world championship

Despite being extremely dominant in the 2022 F1 season, Max Verstappen is confident that his rivals Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, etc., can easily win a world championship if they have a good car and good strategies.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Verstappen praised the seven-time world champion and his immense experience and achievements in the sport. However, he also pointed out how other drivers like Russell and Leclerc can also give a strong fight for the championship if they have a capable car. The Dutchman said:

“He’s been one of the greatest drivers ever in the sport, so for sure if he has the car to do it, he can fight for the title again. But that’s the same for George [Russell], it’s the same for Charles [Leclerc], it’s the same for Lando [Norris] – if you give them the car that’s capable of winning the championship, they can.”

There is a high chance that Lewis Hamilton and other top drivers will pounce on Red Bull and Max Verstappen in the 2023 F1 season, especially after the Austrian team suffered from less wind tunnel testing due to the FIA’s cost cap breach fine and them being the reigning world champions.