Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton's father, Anthony Hamilton, shared a surprise paddock meeting during the GT World Challenge Europe weekend in Portimao, which has drawn widespread praise from Formula 1 fans.
The Dutchman used a gap in the F1 calendar to compete in the GT World Challenge Europe finale alongside Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat. The trio finished ninth in the race.
Hamilton Sr., who was celebrating 35 years in motorsport, attended his first GT World event during the race weekend.
"Great to catch up with my friends Max and Valentino Rossi, talking all things motorsport, life and family," Hamilton Sr. wrote on Instagram alongside photos of him with Verstappen and Valentino Rossi, who was also racing in the event.
"35 years in motorsport and my first ever GT World event. What a day! 61 cars on the grid. What a sight, what a sound. Huge thanks to Stéphane Ratel and the amazing SRO team.
"I rarely take photos, but yesterday I made an exception… three absolute gentlemen."
Fans were quick to react to the moment on social media, describing it as both "random" and "wholesome".
"Wholesome. Isn't Anthony a big motorsport fan in general? Older motorsport people seem to respect Max quite a bit. He's probably pretty easy to talk to and has similar preferences. Remember Jacky Ickx saying that Max recognises him and comes to chat, which isn't common amongst young drivers," one fan commented on Reddit.
Someone else posted: "I don't know much about Lewis's dad, other than he's a stand-up guy. There were a few times when he was a spare dad to one of the new rookies who just needed a kind human being, and Anthony was it. Btw, it seems that Max is cut from the same fabric."
"Man, the guy is so wholesome. Everything he did to get Lewis the life he dreamed of, even though they had little money. All the small things you hear. Congratulating Max in 2021 right away. Consoling Hadjar after his crash. Now this. He seems like just a genuinely good person," another fan commented, while someone else wrote: "He was in Verstappen’s garage as well. So random and cool."