Hamilton may race this year
As the saga surrounding Juan Pablo Montoya's NASCAR defection prepared to break out, Hamilton was busy driving a McLaren at Jerez — although the team insist that the exciting 21-year-old was simply performing on-track duties for a sponsor.
At Magny Cours on Thursday, however, Montoya's immediate successor – Pedro de la Rosa – admitted that he had not been guaranteed the ride for the balance of the 2006 season.
''McLaren haven't contacted us or offered us anything,'' Anthony Hamilton said in France, where his son is resuming his GP2 charge.
''Nothing has changed — we don't know (McLaren's) plans, but I'm sure they will involve Lewis in some capacity.
''We will sit down and talk after he gets the next race or two under his belt.''
The GP2 championship concludes in September, leaving the last three grands prix of the season as the logical time for Hamilton's debut.
His father conceded: ''Maybe then we'll get an offer, we're quite happy to wait, but obviously if the opportunity came up this year we want to grab it.''
As for Lewis' not-a-test F1 debut in Spain, Anthony Hamilton explained: ''He actually said it was just as easy to drive as a GP2 car.
''If you asked him he would be confident of performing well in an F1 car tomorrow.''