McLaren test and reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa is in Australia for the first grand prix of 2007, but the Spaniard will not drive the MP4-22 contender in Friday free practice, we have learned.
BMW, Williams, Spyker and perhaps one or two other teams intend to make use of the regulation this season, but at a PR event on Wednesday 36-year-old de la Rosa confirmed that only Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were scheduled to drive on race weekends.
“It’s bad for me, of course, but it is the most logical decision to make,” de la Rosa said at the MotoGP circuit Phillip Island, which is about a 90 minute drive from Melbourne.
He said: “It will be a great benefit for new drivers like Hamilton, because you have plenty of tyres to use and plenty of time to calmly get used to the track.
“It will also give a real indication about who is quick and who is not, because the limited engines do not apply and everybody will be setting quick laps.
“Compared to this, the format for Fridays last year was a joke.”
