Lewis Hamilton made a striking first impression with McLaren during a 2006 test at Silverstone, surprising many by matching the lap times of their established driver Pedro de la Rosa. This significant moment unfolded when Hamilton, then a 21-year-old rookie who had just secured the GP2 championship, moved quickly to demonstrate his potential in an F1 car for the first time.
McLaren had expected Hamilton to take some time adapting to the demands of a Formula 1 car, but after only a few laps and with fresh tires, he was already keeping pace with de la Rosa. This early display of speed caught the attention of the team and competitors alike.
Pedro de la Rosa reflects on recognizing Hamilton’s talent
Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren’s test driver from 2003 to 2011, recalled his reaction to Hamilton’s unexpected speed during the test while speaking on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast in March 2020. He explained how reviewing the performance data made him realize just how exceptional the young driver was.
“So I looked in the data, and he was so fast through Copse, Becketts, Maggots, that then I just realized the potential of Lewis Hamilton,” said De la Rosa, via Motorsport.
“Just looking at the data for a couple of seconds I realized we had a massive problem, me and all the other drivers on the grid,” he added.
De la Rosa’s insight underscores how Hamilton’s immediate effect on the track suggested a challenge ahead for his teammates and rivals.
Understanding McLaren’s driver lineup decisions for 2007
Later in the same podcast, De la Rosa shared his acceptance of McLaren’s choice to replace him with both Lewis Hamilton and reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso for the 2007 season. Although teammate to several drivers over his career, De la Rosa recognized the merit in the team’s decision.
“When the (2006) season was over, I knew that Lewis would be in the race car and I knew that Fernando was signed,” said De la Rosa, via the aforementioned source.
“And I was happy with that, because I said to myself, if I was in, Ron [Dennis]’s feet, or Martin Whitmarsh’s feet, I would take the same decision, because Lewis is incredibly fast and Fernando as we all know, is mega,” he added.
This shows De la Rosa’s clear understanding of the team’s strategy to build a powerful driver lineup, combining a promising rookie with a proven world champion.
The beginning of a legendary rivalry at McLaren
The arrival of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso marked the start of one of Formula 1’s most intense intra-team rivalries. Throughout the 2007 season, the rookie Hamilton quickly matched the form of two-time world champion Alonso, with both drivers finishing the season tied on points and narrowly behind the champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Hamilton’s rapid rise during that season validated McLaren’s bold decisions and hinted at the future success the British driver would achieve in Formula 1.
