Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro de la Rosa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Pedro Martínez de la Rosa February 24, 1971 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Occupation(s) | Racing driver, motorsport executive, commentator |
| Years active | 1983–2014 (racing career) |
| Known for | Formula One driver (1999–2012), 1997 Formula Nippon and JGTC champion |
| Notable work | Co-founder of Drivex, technical and sporting director at Techeetah Formula E team, ambassador for Aston Martin F1 |
Pedro Martínez de la Rosa (; born 24 February 1971) is a retired Spanish racing driver, motorsport executive, and commentator who competed in Formula One from 1999 to 2012. In 1997, he achieved notable success in Japanese motorsport by clinching both the 1997 Formula Nippon Championship and the 1997 JGTC season titles.
Hailing from Barcelona, de la Rosa began his motorsport journey with radio-controlled car racing before transitioning to karting at the age of 17. Throughout his Formula One career, he took part in 107 Grands Prix representing teams such as Arrows, Jaguar, McLaren, Sauber, and HRT. Making his F1 debut on 7 March 1999, he scored points in his very first race and accumulated a total of 35 championship points, including a podium finish at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. Notably, he became the first Spanish driver to secure national titles in Japanese open-wheel racing by winning both the Japanese Super Formula Championship (previously known as Formula Nippon) and the Super GT (formerly JGTC) championships in the same year.
Following his retirement from competitive driving, de la Rosa transitioned into broadcasting, providing expert analysis for networks such as La Sexta, Telecinco, Movistar, and DAZN. In 2005, he established the motorsport outfit Drivex and later took on the role of technical and sporting director at Techeetah during the 2018–19 Formula E Championship, guiding the team to secure the Teams' Championship. Since 2022, he has served as an ambassador for Aston Martin.
Early career
Born in Barcelona, located in Catalonia, Spain, de la Rosa initially focused on radio-controlled cars, specializing in 1:8 scale off-road models. He dominated domestically by winning three consecutive national championships between 1983 and 1985. Additionally, he became the first driver to claim multiple European radio-controlled off-road titles under the EFRA banner in both 1983 and 1984. He also finished as runner-up at the inaugural IFMAR World Championship held in 1986. At age 17, he shifted his focus to karting in 1988 and subsequently won the Spanish Formula Fiat Uno championship a year later.
Professional career
In 1990, de la Rosa secured the Spanish Formula Ford 1600 title and earned two podium finishes competing in British Formula Ford events. The following year, he placed fourth overall in the Spanish Formula Renault Championship with three podium appearances. His momentum continued in 1992 when he captured both the European and British Formula Renault championships; however, his performance declined somewhat over the subsequent two seasons. In 1995, he triumphed in the Japanese Formula Three championship and finished third at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix. The next year saw him finish eighth in both Formula Nippon and Japan's top-tier GT series, then known as the All Japan GT Championship. In 1997, de la Rosa achieved dual success by winning the Formula Nippon title alongside teammate Michael Krumm and also securing the All Japan GT Championship.
Arrows (1999–2000)
During , de la Rosa acted as a test driver for Jordan. He stepped up to race for Arrows in 1999, earning a championship point by finishing sixth on his debut at the Grand Prix. Throughout that season, he frequently outperformed teammate Toranosuke Takagi. In 2000, paired with Dutch driver Jos Verstappen, de la Rosa scored two points through sixth-place finishes at both the German and European Grands Prix. Verstappen acknowledged their strong collaboration midway through that campaign. That year, Arrows was featured in a thirteen-episode television series titled 'Racing Arrows,' which aired on British broadcaster ITV in 2001.
Jaguar (2001–2002)
He competed for two seasons with Jaguar Racing, partnering with Eddie Irvine. During the 2001 season, he accumulated 3 points, but failed to score in 2002. Jaguar ended his contract prematurely at the conclusion of 2002, appointing Antônio Pizzonia as his replacement.
McLaren (2003–2009)
Primarily functioning as a test driver for McLaren, he stepped into a racing role at the 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix when Juan Pablo Montoya was sidelined due to injury. He finished fifth in that race and set a lap record that remains unbroken.
Following Montoya's move to NASCAR, De la Rosa was promoted to McLaren’s second race seat on 11 July 2006. His consistent performances ensured his continuation in the role for the remainder of the season. At the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix, he secured his sole Formula One podium by finishing second, trailing only Jenson Button.
Although there was speculation regarding his teammate status alongside Fernando Alonso for , the team selected Lewis Hamilton. Consequently, De la Rosa stayed on as McLaren's test driver.
Alongside his testing responsibilities, he contributed race analysis for Spanish channel Telecinco during , returning again in 2007. There were rumors linking him to a driving position with the new Prodrive outfit for , possibly under McLaren’s backing; however, Prodrive did not join the championship grid, so he continued his test driver role at McLaren.
De la Rosa played a key role in the 2007 Formula One espionage controversy, providing crucial evidence that resulted in McLaren’s exclusion from the 2007 Constructors' Championship and a $100 million penalty. He was reported to have sent emails concerning Ferrari’s car configurations.
Prior to the 2008 Australian Grand Prix, he was unanimously chosen as chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, with support from directors Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso, succeeding retired chairman Ralf Schumacher. He remained with McLaren through 2009 and, by January 2010, was among the most seasoned F1 test drivers. After securing a racing contract with Sauber for 2010, he stepped down as GPDA chairman, succeeded by Nick Heidfeld.
Sauber (2010–2011)
In 2010, De la Rosa joined the reformed Sauber squad alongside Kamui Kobayashi, who had impressed during late 2009 at Toyota.
He completed seven out of thirteen races and earned six points, including a seventh-place finish at the Grand Prix—his last points haul in Formula One. Despite ongoing reliability issues affecting both drivers throughout the year, he qualified within the top ten twice, at Silverstone and Hungary.
Following the Italian Grand Prix, Sauber replaced him with Nick Heidfeld. Subsequently, De la Rosa took on testing duties for Pirelli in preparation for their return to Formula One.
In 2011, after Sergio Pérez suffered an accident in Monaco, De la Rosa rejoined Sauber for the Canadian Grand Prix. He delivered a steady performance amid difficult wet conditions, running as high as ninth before a red flag interrupted the race. After contact following the restart necessitated a new front wing, he ultimately finished in 12th place.
McLaren (2011)
On 9 March 2011, it was announced that De la Rosa would rejoin McLaren as their test and reserve driver.
HRT (2012)
On 21 November 2011, De la Rosa inked a two-year deal with HRT F1, joining forces with Indian racer Narain Karthikeyan. Both drivers were unable to qualify for the season's opening event in Australia, where De la Rosa managed just seven timed laps. At the subsequent Malaysian Grand Prix, he secured a qualifying spot and finished 22nd, later elevated to 21st following a penalty imposed on Karthikeyan.
Throughout the season, De la Rosa regularly outqualified Karthikeyan, achieving 21st place in China and improving to 20th in Bahrain. After the Bahrain race, he admitted that the team needed to boost lap times to be more competitive. Returning to compete in his home Grand Prix in Spain for the first time since 1999, he finished 19th but was forced to retire in Monaco due to a collision with Pastor Maldonado.
Although De la Rosa had secured a contract for the 2013 season with HRT and was set to take on the role of team principal in 2014, the team's closure at the end of 2012 prevented him from fulfilling either position.
Ferrari (2013–2014)
On 16 January, Ferrari announced the signing of De la Rosa for a developmental capacity, enhancing their simulator operations. Shortly after, on 24 January, Ferrari revealed that he would share testing responsibilities of their 2013 car, the F138, alongside Felipe Massa during the initial pre-season tests at Jerez, commencing on 5 February.
Team management
In 2005, De la Rosa co-established the feeder series outfit Drivex together with Miguel Ángel de Castro. The team notably secured both the teams' and drivers' championships in the 2019 F4 Spanish Championship, with future Alpine competitor Franco Colapinto driving.
During the 2018–19 season, he held the roles of technical and sporting director at Techeetah in Formula E.
Additionally, De la Rosa manages a driving academy and racing team operating under the Drivex name.
In October 2022, he was named ambassador for the Aston Martin Formula One Team.
Broadcasting
De la Rosa has contributed as a color commentator for Formula One coverage on networks such as La Sexta, Telecinco, Movistar, and currently DAZN.
He is a father to one daughter. His nephew, Bruno del Pino, is also involved in racing and has previously driven for his Drivex team.
Career summary
|| align="left"| All-Japan GT Championship || align="left"| TOM'S ||6 ||0 ||0 ||0 ||2 ||38 ||13th || align="left"| 1996 Macau Grand Prix || align="left"| Paul Stewart Racing ||1 ||0 ||0 ||0 ||0 ||N/A ||7th || align="left"| All-Japan GT Championship || align="left"| TOM'S ||6 ||2 ||2 ||3 ||4 ||64 ||style="background:#FFFFBF;"|'1st'|| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Spanish Formula Fiat | Ofensiva Uno – Meycom | 7 | 2 | ? | ? | 5 | ? | 1st |
| 1990 | Spanish Formula Ford | Racing for Spain | 10 | 8 | ? | ? | 9 | ? | 1st |
| British Formula Ford | 6 | 0 | ? | ? | 2 | 0 | NC | ||
| Formula Ford Festival | ? | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 12th | |
| 1991 | Spanish Formula Renault Championship | Racing for Spain | 10 | 0 | ? | ? | 3 | 46 | 4th |
| 1992 | Formula Renault UK | Racing for Spain | 12 | 3 | 0 | ? | 7 | 153 | 1st |
| Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 | 3 | 2 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 1st | ||
| 1993 | 1993 British Formula Three Championship | West Surrey Racing | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 6th |
| 1993 Macau Grand Prix | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | NC | ||
| 1993 Masters of Formula 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 9th | ||
| 1994 | 1994 British Formula Three Championship | Racing for Spain | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 19th |
| 1995 | All-Japan Formula Three Championship | TOM'S | 9 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 54 | '1st'| |
| 1995 Macau Grand Prix | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | '3rd'| | ||
| rowspan=3 1996
|| align="left"| Formula Nippon || align="left"| Team Nova ||10 ||0 ||0 ||0 ||1 ||13 ||8th | |||||||||
| rowspan=2 1997
|| align="left"| Formula Nippon || align="left"| Team Nova ||10 ||6 ||4 ||3 ||10 ||82 ||style="background:#FFFFBF;"|'1st'| | |||||||||
| 1998 | align="left"| Formula One | align="left"| Jordan Grand Prix (Test driver) | colspan=7| | ||||||
| 1999 | align="left"| Formula One | align="left"| Arrows Grand Prix International (Repsol) | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18th |
| 2000 | align="left"| Formula One | align="left"| Arrows Grand Prix International | 17 | 0 | 0
;;00 ;;00 ;;00 ;;00 ;;00 ;;21st | ||||
2003-2005
;; colspan =7 Test driver roles at West McLaren Mercedes teams | |||||||||
2005
;; One race for McLaren, finishing with no points | |||||||||
2006
;; Test driver and eight races for McLaren, finishing 11th with one point | |||||||||
2007-2009
;; Test driver at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes teams | |||||||||
2010
;; Fourteen races for BMW Sauber, scoring six points and ranking 17th; also Pirelli test driver | |||||||||
2011
;; Test driver at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes; one race for Sauber with no points, finishing 20th | |||||||||
2012
;; Twenty races for HRT Formula 1 Team, finishing last without points | |||||||||
2013-2014
;; Test driver at Scuderia Ferrari | |||||||||
2015–16
;; Pre-season test driver in Formula E with Team Aguri |
Full RC Racing Results
(Races highlighted in bold denote the top qualifier)
IFMAR World Championship Outcomes
| Year | Position | Category | Location | Team | Vehicle | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 2 | 1:8 IC Off-Road | Grenoble | Garbo España | Garbo Gepard 3 | Picco |
EFRA European Championship Outcomes
| Year | Position | Category | Location | Team | Vehicle | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 1 | 1:8 IC Off-Road | France | Yankee Enduro 84x4 | Picco | |
| 1984 | 1 | 1:8 IC Off-Road | Sweden | Yankee Enduro 84x4 | Picco |
AECAR Campeonato de España Outcomes
| Year | Position | Category | Location | Team | Vehicle | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1 | 1:8 IC Off-Road | Garbo | Picco | ||
| 1984 | 1 | 1:8 IC Off-Road | Garbo | Picco | ||
| 1983 | 1 | 1:8 IC Off-Road | Garbo | Picco |
Comprehensive British Formula 3 Results
(Races in bold mark pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Engine | Category | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | DC | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | West Surrey Racing | Mugen-Honda | A | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SIL 5 |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" | THR 3 |
style="background:#FFFFFF;" | BRH DNS |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" | DON 3 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | BRH 4 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SIL 4 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | OUL 5 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" | DON Ret |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | SIL 7 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" | DON Ret |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | SNE NC |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | PEM 8 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" | SIL Ret |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" | SIL Ret |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | THR 7 |
colspan=3 | !7th !18 | ||||
| 1994 | Racing for Spain | Renault | A | style="background:#CFCFFF;" |SIL 16 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |DON 11 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |BRH 16 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |BRH 9 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |SIL 14 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" |SIL Ret |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" |BRH Ret |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |THR 15 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |OUL 16 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" |DON Ret |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |SIL 11 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |SNE 11 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |PEM 16 |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |PEM 13 |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" |SIL Ret |
style="background:#FFFFFF;" |SIL DNS |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" |THR 16 |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |SIL 8 |
!19th | !6 |
Full Japanese Formula 3 Championship Results
(legend) (Events shown in bold represent pole positions) (Events in italics denote fastest laps)
| Season | Team | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Final Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | TOM's | Toyota | SUZ 1 |
FUJ C |
TSU 2 |
MIN 1 |
SUZ 1 |
TAI 1 |
SUG 1 |
FUJ 1 |
SUZ 1 |
SEN 1 |
Champion | 54 |
Full Formula Nippon Championship Results
(legend) (Pole positions are highlighted in bold; fastest laps appear in italics)
| Year | Team Entry | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Final Standing | Points Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Team Nova | SUZ 5th |
MIN 7th |
FUJ 6th |
TOK 6th |
SUZ Retired |
SUG 11th |
FUJ 6th |
MIN Retired |
SUZ 5th |
FUJ 2nd |
8th place | 13 points |
| 1997 | Team Nova | SUZ < br/> 1st | MIN < br/> 1st | FUJ < br/> 2nd | SUZ < br/> 3rd | SUG < br/> 1st | FUJ < br/> 1st | MIN < br/> 2nd | MOT < br/> 1st | FUJ < br/> 2nd | SUZ < br/> 1st | Champion | 82 points |
|---|
Full JGTC Results
(key) (Events shown in bold denote pole position) (Events in italics signify fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Vehicle | Category | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Final Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Toyota Castrol Team | Toyota Supra | GT500 | SUZ 5 |
FUJ 2 |
SEN 3 |
FUJ Ret |
SUG 9 |
MIN Ret |
8th | 38 | |
| 1997 | Toyota Castrol Team | Toyota Supra | GT500 | SUZ 14 |
FUJ 3 |
SEN 1 |
FUJ 2 |
MIN 1 |
SUG 15 |
'1st' | '67' | |
| 1998 | NISMO | Nissan Skyline GT-R | GT500 | NC | 0 |
Complete Formula One Results
(key)
| Year | Team Entry | Chassis Model | Engine Type | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Championship Standing | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Repsol Arrows | Arrows A20 | Arrows T2-F1 3.0 V10 engine | AUS 6 |
18th |
1 |
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Pages with broken file links
- 1971 births
- Living people
- Formula Ford drivers
- British Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
- British Formula Three Championship drivers
- Japanese Formula 3 Championship drivers
- Formula Nippon drivers
- Spanish Formula One drivers
- Catalan Formula One drivers
- Arrows Formula One drivers
- Jaguar Formula One drivers
- McLaren Formula One drivers
- Sauber Formula One drivers
- HRT Formula One drivers
- Paul Stewart Racing drivers
- TOM'S drivers
- Spanish racing drivers
- Catalan racing drivers
- Racing drivers from Barcelona
- Super GT drivers