Formula 1 News

McLaren-Mercedes: Pedro de la Rosa wants Alonso’s seat 

Pedro de la Rosa has counted himself in the running to replace his countryman Fernando Alonso at McLaren for 2008. The Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo said 36 year old de la Rosa is a friend of Emilio Botin, the boss of McLaren’s Spanish sponsor Santander who is reportedly unhappy about Alonso’s team exit.

“Everybody wants to be a McLaren driver,” de la Rosa told Spanish press on Wednesday at Madrid’s International Exhibition of Information Technology. The Barcelona born driver is guaranteed McLaren’s continuing primary test seat next year and also in 2009. He substituted for Juan Pablo Montoya last year and subsequently hoped to be granted the seat that ultimately in 2007 was occupied by Lewis Hamilton. “My dream has always been to race and, naturally, it is that possibility that keeps me going as a test driver,” he continued. “I’ll try, of course I will. At the moment the team is in no rush and neither am I. “If they need a driver, I’m ready and willing, that’s for sure,” de la Rosa said.

With Williams’ Nico Rosberg now out of the running, also tenuously linked with the drive is 24 year old French-Canadian DTM driver Bruno Spengler, who was thought to be a candidate for a Prodrive seat next year.

source: GMM