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Pedro De la RosaSpanish Formula 1 driver
Date of Birth: 24.02.1941
Country:  Spain |
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Biography of Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro de la Rosa is a Spanish former Formula One driver, who has achieved notable success in the sport. He was born on February 24, 1971, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, just a few kilometers away from the Circuit de Catalunya-Montmelo.
Early Career
In his teenage years, de la Rosa participated in radio-controlled model car racing and achieved great success, becoming a two-time European champion in the sport. He began his professional motorsport career at the age of 17, winning the Spanish Karting Championship in 1989. The following year, he won the Spanish Formula Ford Championship in his debut season. He then moved on to Formula Renault, winning both the Spanish and British championships. He subsequently competed in Japanese championships, winning the local Formula 3 championship.
Formula One Career
In 1998, de la Rosa was invited by the Formula One team Jordan to serve as a test driver. His impressive test results led to a contract with the Arrows team for the following year. He made his debut in Australia and scored one point for finishing sixth in his first race. However, the season as a whole was not successful for Arrows, and de la Rosa only scored one point for the entire season. In the following year, he joined Jaguar Racing as a permanent driver, where he achieved more consistent results, scoring three points and finishing 16th in the championship. He continued to compete for various teams in Formula One, including McLaren, Sauber, and HRT, before retiring from the sport in 2012.
Contribution to Motorsport
In addition to his racing career, de la Rosa served as the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2012 to 2014. He played a significant and controversial role in the 2007 espionage scandal, where he was involved in the testing of stolen information from Ferrari alongside McLaren engineer Mike Coughlan. This scandal led to the disqualification of the McLaren team.
Later Career
After retiring from Formula One, de la Rosa signed a contract with the Sauber team for the 2010 season. He continued to contribute to the sport as a test driver and mentor to young drivers. Today, de la Rosa is involved in various motorsport projects and continues to be a respected figure in the racing community.
