Pedro de la Rosa recalls the moment he realised ‘truly special’ Lewis Hamilton was ‘not normal’

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Ex-Formula 1 driver Pedro de la Rosa has revealed the moment he realised Lewis Hamilton was ‘truly special’.

Hamilton, 41, is one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history, having won seven world titles in his illustrious career.

The Brit also holds the records of having the most race wins, podium finishes and pole positions.

Statistically, he is the best F1 driver in history, but the GOAT debate includes the likes of Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.

Which F1 driver, past or present, would you trust the most in the rain?

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Pedro de la Rosa recalls the moment he realised Lewis Hamilton was ‘truly special’

Speaking to Sky Sports reporter Rachel Brookes in her new book ‘F1 Racing Drive’, De la Rosa recalled the moment he realised Hamilton was ‘not normal’ and ‘truly special’. 

The Spaniard, who drove for teams like McLaren, Jaguar and Sauber during his career, revealed how he was left shocked during Hamilton’s first F1 test at Silverstone.

Brookes wrote: “Pedro recalls how impressive the young driver in front of him was in those early days.

“He said: “Ron Dennis wanted to compare Lewis against us, so I went to Silverstone for his first proper F1 test. We did a few laps in the morning.

“I look at the times, and he was 5 seconds slower than me, and I was talking to my race engineer, and I said ‘So Lewis is taking a while to get up to speed’, and he said ‘Yeah, don’t worry, he’s just learning’.

“I went into the car again and did another run, and I came back to the garage, and I looked, and Lewis was P1. He has suddenly found seconds.

“I looked again, and I asked, ‘Is this real or did he jump the chicane? Maybe there is a problem with the time keeping’.”

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De la Rosa added: “I remember telling Phil (race engineer), ‘Houston, we have a problem, because it was in that moment I realised he was truly special.

“I’ve seen many drivers, and it’s not normal when a guy just jumps from F2 and into an F1 car at Silverstone and does that. I was not slow.

“Suddenly, after just two runs, the guy is there and even faster than me, and he ended up one of the fastest guys of the test. I immediately knew he was special.”

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton warned he needs a ‘miracle’ to beat ‘world champion material’ Charles Leclerc

Pierre Gasly praises Lewis Hamilton’s influence outside of Formula 1

It is clear that Hamilton has made a huge impact on the sport of F1, but according to Alpine star Pierre Gasly, the Brit is also an influential figure away from the track.

Brookes wrote: “One way Lewis has used his influence is through self-expression. I sat down with Pierre Gasly in Milan for an interview, and naturally, we got chatting about fashion and how Lewis dresses differently now at the track than in the past.

“Pierre says, ‘It’s important to say that without him, things would be different these days. I think Lewis has opened the door for all of us. The mentality has changed slightly.

“I often thank him for sticking to his values and to himself for all these years because it’s now definitely made the path slightly smoother for us young drivers.”