De la Rosa could replace Hamilton

McLaren boss Ron Dennis says his team would put Pedro de la Rosa in a race seat if Lewis Hamilton proves to be a dud.

"De la Rosa is part of our family. He has a lot of talent, he did a great job last season and he is very skilled when setting up a car. He's a McLaren ambassador, he has his future secured in the company and he's a good friend," Dennis told As newspaper.

"And there's a chance that, if it turns out we made a mistake, we could reconsider him for the racing seat. But we had to take the risk. With Alonso's strength, the risk was very low."