In 2006, Lewis Hamilton stunned the McLaren team during a test at Silverstone by matching the pace of their regular driver, Pedro de la Rosa, despite it being his first time in an F1 car. This impressive display marked a turning point in Hamilton’s career and revealed his exceptional talent to the Formula 1 world.
McLaren gave Hamilton, who had secured the GP2 championship that year, a chance to test their Formula 1 car at Silverstone. Expectations were modest, as the team anticipated the young driver would need time to get accustomed to the faster and more complex machinery. However, after only a handful of laps and with fresh tires fitted, Hamilton was already equaling de la Rosa’s lap times, surprising everyone on the team.
Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren’s test driver from 2003 to 2011 who raced in eight Grands Prix during the 2006 season, recounted his immediate impression of Hamilton’s speed during the test on an episode of F1‘s Beyond the Grid podcast in 2020. He explained how analyzing the data showed that Hamilton was incredibly fast through challenging corners such as Copse, Becketts, and Maggots, revealing his extraordinary potential behind the wheel.
“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.
Following this test, McLaren’s lineup changed significantly. De la Rosa did not secure a permanent racing seat after the 2006 season despite stepping in after Juan Pablo Montoya’s sudden departure. Instead, McLaren signed two drivers for 2007: the newly promoted Lewis Hamilton and the reigning world champion Fernando Alonso, which shifted the dynamics within the team dramatically.
How Pedro de la Rosa Accepted McLaren’s Decision to Choose Hamilton and Alonso
During the same 2020 podcast, Pedro de la Rosa reflected on his understanding of the team‘s choices for the 2007 season. He recognized the rationale behind team principal Ron Dennis’s decision to bring in Hamilton alongside Alonso. De la Rosa admitted he had anticipated Hamilton’s promotion and the signing of Alonso well before the new season began.
“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.
The arrival of Hamilton, together with Alonso, set the stage for one of the most intense rivalries in modern Formula 1 history. As rookies and champions competed within the team, the 2007 season ended with Hamilton and Alonso finishing level on points, just behind world champion Kimi Raikkonen. The Silverstone test in 2006 had clearly anticipated the impact Hamilton would have right from the start of his Formula 1 career.