Spanish · Barcelona, Spain · Born 24 February 1971Pedro de la Rosa is a Spanish former Formula 1 driver and long-serving test driver for McLaren and Ferrari, remembered for scoring a point on his debut and for his role in the 2007 'Spygate' scandal.
Pedro de la Rosa scored his best Formula 1 result, second place, at the rain-affected 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix as McLaren's stand-in race driver, accumulated 107 Grand Prix entries across a career that spanned from 1999 to 2012, and became a central figure in the 'Spygate' scandal that cost McLaren $100 million and their 2007 constructors' championship. He progressed through Spanish Formula Ford and Formula Renault before moving to Japan, where he won the Formula 3 title in 1995 and both the Formula Nippon and All-Japan GT500 championships in 1997. De la Rosa made his Formula 1 debut with Arrows at the 1999 Australian Grand Prix, scoring a championship point in his very first race, before driving for Jaguar in 2001 and 2002. He joined McLaren as a test driver in 2003, and stepped into the race seat in 2005 and for much of 2006 after Juan Pablo Montoya's exits, delivering his best-ever result, second place, at the rain-affected 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. De la Rosa drew significant attention in 2007 when he became embroiled in the 'Spygate' scandal, having exchanged emails with McLaren designer Mike Coughlan and driver Fernando Alonso discussing confidential Ferrari technical data; both drivers testified and were granted immunity, though McLaren was fined $100 million and expelled from that year's constructors' championship. De la Rosa went on to drive for BMW Sauber in 2010 and HRT in 2012, closing out 107 Grand Prix entries, before serving as Ferrari's test and development driver until 2014. He later competed in the World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans, and became a prominent Formula 1 broadcaster for Spanish television.
Scoring a championship point on his F1 debut and a long career as a respected test and development driver
How They Played
Consistent, technically astute driver renowned for detailed feedback on car development
Lasting Impact
Widely respected within the paddock as one of the most technically capable test drivers of his era, despite limited race opportunities
Career Honours
- Scored a championship point on his Formula 1 debut (1999)
- One Formula 1 podium (2006 Hungarian Grand Prix)
- Formula Nippon and All-Japan GT champion (1997)
- 8 years as McLaren test driver
| Constructor | Season(s) | Races |
|---|---|---|
| Arrows | 1999–2000 | — |
| Jaguar | 2001–2002 | — |
| McLaren | 2003–2009 | — |
| BMW Sauber/Sauber | 2010–2011 | — |
| HRT | 2012 | — |
| Ferrari | 2013–2014 | — |
| Career Total | — | 0 |
Spanish Athletes