McLaren has decided on 2007 direction already
06/11/06 McLaren intend to give young Briton Lewis Hamilton time in a Formula One simulator over the next month to prepare him for a likely grand prix debut in 2007.
"Wherever he ends up next year there is every indication that it should be, and we will try and make it, a Formula One car," team boss Ron Dennis told reporters at the British Grand Prix.
"He's got one GP2 test and maybe we'll give him some mileage in our simulator in preparation for a test towards the end of the year. That is most likely what will happen," said Dennis.
"We don't want to work outside the testing agreement, we don't want to spend time evaluating any driver at the moment," he added.
"It's certainly not the thing to do mid-season, not productive to our car development programme which is the priority at the moment."
McLaren are expected to lose Kimi Raikkonen to Ferrari or Renault next year and there is a big question mark over Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya's future.
Dennis said the team was comfortable with its position for 2007 and had taken key decisions already.
"We know exactly where we will go and what we will do according to what unfolds over the next few weeks," he said.
"We are not waiting on anybody. We are waiting for circumstances out of our control to unfold," added Dennis cryptically. "You will completely understand as and when I believe it will fall into place." More at Reuters