De la Rosa joins McLaren.

[Super Tourer]

After some impressive test performances for McLaren, Pedro De la Rosa has signed for the team as 4th driver and 2nd test driver.


www.pitpass.com/news2/news.cfm?newsid=5444

[Sodemo]

cool.

[Daiboy]

Or....after a dismal career so far, Pedro has become an ocational tester for a team at which he will never race. Spain already has a hero in Alonso, whilst Rosa must now wonder what could have been.

[429CJ]

Earlier it was young emerging stars, witch were the test drivers, now the trend is using F1 departees?

[x_dt]

de la Rosa is no slouch and deserves another chance (if not F1 then CART). This is the driver who dominated Japanese F3 in 1995 and Formula Nippon in 1997.

[Daiboy]

95....97...granted......but what of 98/99/00/01/02 and probably 03??!! time waits for NO ONE!!!

[Down F0rce]

yes!!!

Welcome to the team Pedro

[Bononi]

4th driver 2nd test driver...

Is it a promotional seat or a payed seat ?

[Adam43]

To do true testing a young hot headed driver is perhaps not what you want. I suppose ideally you would have an experienced driver and a young potential new driver. Like Ferrari and Massa. McClaren have Kimi in a race seat so maybe another experienced hand is a good idea. Ferrari have a Massa.

But the team can chose who they think fits the bill best.

Bononi, I doubt McClaren need the money, but, you never know, a few more pennies might help.

[kdr]

does massa test? he seems very photogenic in his nice red shirt at the back of the ferrari garage at the first three grand prixs...

but hold on...whos that testing the car?...oh its luca badoer.

[BootsOntheSide]

I guess Massa's doing his testing in private, the team are trying to build him up as a driver for the future, whereas it's down to Badoer to make the car competitive.
I'm not sure what De La Rosa can add to McLaren, as he doesn't have the experience, level-headedness and developmental knowledge of Badoer, or the precocious skill of Massa.

[JR Ewing]

******. PDLR is a very good driver and I think this signals the exit of Alex Wurz...

[DNQ]

I don't think Wurz will go, but I do agree that PDLR is very talented, at least the equal of Jos in 2000. Good luck to him.

[BootsOntheSide]

Wurz has consistantly set impressive test times, was coveted by Toyota for a race drive this year, and showed lots fo potential when racing for Benetton, especially befor ethose big crashes at Monacoa dn Canada shook him up. Why would they want to drop him? Everyone in the team has been constatly ocmplimentary about his role.

There's more chance of Wurz leaving the team for a race drive than him being fired. Having another experienced driver in the testing team enables another set of feedback to be gained, more info about the 2003 car quicker.

[Super Tourer]

It seems Pedro will be dedicated to McLaren's test program with Michelin, Ron D having witnessed Ferrari do the same thing with Burti and Bridgestone to great effect.

[enemy-ace]

Wurz not only being very quick is also said to be very good in regards to the technical aspects of the car. Hiring dela Rosa is just a sign of a professional team doing a professional job. 'nuff said

[nicker less]

De La Rosa is a good driver and deserves another chance in F1.
He scored a point on his GP debut and he was running 3rd at Austria in 2000 for a long time.

[Mania]

Wurz was a lousy racer but has done a decent job in testing. Del-a-Rosa though is much quicker and once he's found his feet in the team, I reckon he'll easily outpace Wurz.

[EERO]

I've been a fan of PDLR for ages. i think he lost his way at Jag though and deserved a better shot. He certainly looked good at Arrows. I'm sure he will prove to be a real asset at McLaren just as Wurz has been and will continue to be.

[Daiboy]

Pedro has ended up as a Mclaren tester because ultimatley, no other team wanted him to 'Race' there cars. Yes...he may do a good job as a 'parts tester' but he is never going to set the world on fire. He's had a number of chances to show how good he is...which im afraid, hes fluffed. Good luck with testing...and nxt year in the Nissan series.

[Jordi]

C'mon. Pedro had offers from other teams in the summer, but at the time he was fired, only the Minardi seats were available. Talk about Lauda being good to Pedro.

"Number of chances to set the world on fire.." Yeah sure. In 1999 he had an Arrows that was only better than the BAR because it finished some races, and he brought it home in 6th at Melbourne. Webber did that last year and he's a hero.
In 2000 he certainly did great races, like Austria, or Canada (where Diniz punted him off) where he ran behind Villeneuve, Hakkinen and Barrichello, or Hockenheim and Nürburgring..... And then TW fired him.
Entering Jaguar in 2001, he scored at Canada and Monza, and was very close to or ahead of Irvine. Then comes 2002. A dismal car. Lots of car failures, hits (McNish at Canada, Massa at Monza...)... And you'll say "oh, Irvine was 3rd" and I'll say "well, Irvine had no Massa in his way!"

Did he ever had a real chance in 2002 to show his worth? NO. Did he ever have a competitive car? Occasionally, in 2000, with the Arrows-Supertec. But NO more than that. Did he show he's worth when he was able to? YES!

De la Rosa is way underrated. Just like Villeneuve, a bad 2002 year has set many bandwagoners the other way.

[Daiboy]

Oh my God!! do you have a poster of him above your bed too Jordi??? I dont consider Webber a Hero. Had Massa not been in the way, pedro would have finished behind Irvine, like he did all season. Wheres Irvine now?? Irvine is no longer with us because his V.good career came to an end. Pedro is lapping a Mclaren because his career has never taken off. There is enough talent out there to warrant Pedro being a tester for the rest of his career. And maybe multiple Nissan Chump...!!.....Champ.