Pedro de la Rosa says he is going to retain his McLaren race seat for the 2006 season finale in Brazil later this month.
Although this week’s pairing at Jerez of the Spaniard alongside GP2 champion Lewis Hamilton has been touted as a head-to-head for the Sao Paulo drive, 35-year-old de la Rosa told ‘AS’ newspaper: “I am going to race in Brazil.
“I have a very good feeling and the backing of the team.”
De la Rosa, incidentally, lapped three tenths quicker than Hamilton at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain on Wednesday.
And, contemplating a possible Hamilton debut at Interlagos, team boss Ron Dennis cautioned at Suzuka: “This is a hero-to-zero sport.
“Why put everything at risk?”
Perhaps even less clear, meanwhile, are the chances of 21-year-old Hamilton and de la Rosa for the full time race seat alongside Fernando Alonso next year.
De la Rosa told ‘AS’ that it would be ‘a dream’ to make history as part of the first all-Spanish lineup in F1.
GMMF1
DailyF1News.com
