THE WORLD'S GREATEST TEST DRIVER! The Career of Pedro de la Rosa (1999-2013)

[@AidanMillward]

I might have left a caption turned on when I wasn't supposed to. I've had like 4hrs sleep Also Badoer not Gene. BUGGER.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

As a chronic insomniac, you have my sympathy. Anyway, that's what pinned posts are for 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@simontravers2715]

You need to do a Nico Hulkenberg retrospective Aidan, by far the best F1 driver never to get a podium! 🇩🇪

[@mplsmike4023]

Badoer, Gene. Potato, Potahto.

[@mica7191]

My coffee is ready already, everytime AM's video is up

[@martijnp4313]

Badoer breaking down (and then breaking down) while in 5th is still the saddest thing I ever saw in my years of watching F1.

[@thegamester1426]

Still love Pedro showing off his lap record every time the sport goes off to Bahrain, amazing he even still has the record

[@seanonraet8327]

He's a pundit for the Spanish race coverage and they always joke that someone is going to beat it during the Bahrain GP

[@tristanwhite3472]

Yes it’s amazing he still holds that record the Fastest Lap of Bahrain from 2005 with McLaren Mercedes. But that was a great car!! So not to surprising. Was a Brilliant Car and he said it was by far the best car he had ever driven.

[@jonihamalainen2228]

Yup also but also that he drove one the most mighty V10 monster cars ever which had superb race pace! ;)

[@titanent.6897]

It's not amazing. The cars just kept getting fatter and fatter. Pedro was meh at best. At worst he was trash.

[@titanent.6897]

​@tristanwhite3472 haha stupid!!! How much did that car weigh? Compared to every car after it?

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Very interesting. He has an "always there... _somewhere,_ " place in my memory, but apart from being McLaren's test driver and occasional stand-in, I'd have had a hard time remembering every team he actually raced for. Cheers!

[@davidaragones2659]

Pedrito is quite loved here in Spain, he has been part of the spanish F1 commentary team for quite a while. Good man, very glad to see a video about him here!

[@Exponaut_R-01]

Good to hear he's still got a place somewhere.

[@Mlaargaar]

Yesss! Finally getting the recognition he deserves on your channel!

[@gerarduspoppel2831]

One of the most underrated drivers in my opinion.

[@stanislavmelekhin9509]

He was kicked out by Arrows in January having a valid contract for 2001 because Red Bull paid for Bernoldi (Arrows had a habit to fire drivers right before the season). This is how he landed at Jaguar, first as a test driver with a racing option for 2002 and replaced Burti already after San Marino. And then history repeated at Jaguar where he had a contract for 2003, but was dropped for Pizzonia. Both cases were not due to his pace. He was better than Verstappen in 2000 and was at the same level as Irvine in 2002. Dropped unfairly twice, this is how I remember Pedro.

[@ExodiaNecross2]

Pedro also won the JGTC Championship in 1997 In GT 500 in toyota supra

[@MatteoSottoilCofano]

He also won Formula Nippon that year

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

Ngl I'm waiting for JGTC/Super GT and Formula Nippon/Super Formula story time because just like de la Rosa, they're under the radar of most fans. Like most fans are aware that Gasly and Lawson raced in SF but that's pretty much it. Both series are highly popular in Japan and many Japanese drivers are doing both of them until they retire, never venturing outside Japan

[@mishkachok3137]

@@aslamnurfikri7640 Theres a great doc here called "The Car That Killed Godzilla" about JGTC

[@ExodiaNecross2]

He said that but not anything about JGTC ​@MatteoSottoilCofano

[@markalbert9011]

As always one of the best F1 Channels on KZbin. Interesting material well researched, presented in a professional, humorous and well written. No clickbait about the latest rumors or other silliness ,just interesting and sometimes fascinating stories about the history of F1. I've been a motorsport fan for 50+ years and somehow you always surprise me with something or someone I had no idea about. Your success s well earned...nicely done Aiden.

[@caphowdy666]

My most overriding memory of Pedro is when I worked at the F1 shop in Bluewater back in the early 2000s. Me and one of the guys I used to work with both played the PlayStation F1 games, and we always laughed at the Jim Rosenthal voice work when he was reading the drivers names and his pronunciation of Pedro de la Rosa ... it became the way we always said his name when talking about him 🤣

[@PyroBun_2844]

Finally, the greatest achivement of all time is mentioned on this channel. The lap record at the Bahrain international circuit. 🙏

[@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1]

20 years next year! He’s got one year to keep tight and from 2026 onwards he should be fine considering how much slower the cars will be

[@titanent.6897]

Quit trolling. That record ain't shit. He did it in a paper weight car.

[@brockside1575]

Those of us that have been in Formula 1 since the 1950s know that winning a F1 race or becoming F1 champion is by no means the only criterion by which a driver should be judged. A good example, a name even those born since 2000 should have heard of, Stirling Moss.

[@ibex485]

Not just a member of the metaphorical McLaren B-team (their full time test team). Through most of the '00s Ron Dennis was in talks with various people to get a 'McLaren B-team' onto the grid. It would have been a turnkey solution - run from the old McLaren factory, using year-old McLaren chassis & customer Mercedes engines and with Pedro de la Rosa & Gary Paffett as drivers. Just add money and off you go. At one stage (c.2005?) it reportedly came close to happening, with Jean Alesi leading the team backed by money from one of the Gulf states. But the rule changes to properly outlaw customer cars at the end of the decade killed off the idea for good.

[@AidanMillward]

@@ibex485 it was supposed to be the prodrive team or something.

[@ibex485]

@@AidanMillward Prodrive was the last attempt to make it happen. But Ron Dennis tried elsewhere first, it was something he wanted to do after McLaren moved to their new 'technology centre' and had Mercedes on board. Somewhere I've got an old copy of Autocar from 2005(?) with a news story about it. Jean Alesi was coming to the end of his DTM career with Mercedes and was mentioned in the headline as going to run the team. (I think the money was going to come from Bahrain, but don't trust my memory on that detail.)

[@stephenbritton9297]

I've met JPM, and I was surprised how small he was. I can list off so many open wheel drivers that are smaller than I thought... Tony Kanaan being one. He really doesn't have a big nose, its normal, the rest is just small...

[@AlwaysOneMore]

lol perspective will do that

[@Andy15678]

Please, next Mika Salo

[@ibex485]

The original super sub. 😎

[@luisabreu1198]

And Hans Stuck.

[@_GuestFive]

I always have my favourites from mid grid teams, Pedro in the Jag and later Sauber and Salo in the Sauber then Toyota are two of them.

[@trappenweisseguy27]

He’ll be forever remembered by me as a guy who had an F1 race win on his plate and gave it up to his teammate. Bad decision as he never had another chance in his entire career.

[@ibex485]

@@trappenweisseguy27 If he hadn't given Eddie the win, it likely would have been his last F1 race ever. Dropped on the spot by Ferrari, no Ferrari-engined Sauber drive next year and no Toyota seat. (No Ferrari GT career either.) But he would have had that win. And the (probably) unique record of that win being his only podium. ⚖

[@areasquirrel]

The ultimate journeyman is Nico 'Billy No Podium' Hulkenberg. All those teams, 200+ races, and for what? Bad luck, my diffuser. And of course for replacing Mick Schumacher at Haas, Mum hates him. Please. Go. Away. The yellow car is cool, of course. Especially when it's 'the national team'. Said Murray: "Get ready in Britain and in Ireland! Get ready all around the world to stand up and cheer!" Pedro still holding the Sakhir track record is insane, as Alex Jacques regularly reminds us. Shows what a beast the MP4-20 was. The Newey seems to struggle with the number 20... Pedro was indeed a genius tester, and it is amusing seeing him and Fernando together again forming an Old Boys Club at Aston Martin. Can't say Grumpy Old Men, because Pedro is too nice for that. Sorry, not sorry, Granda Nando, I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's not a 'media portrayal'. You ARE grumpy. Deal with it. Go join Nico and Martin Brundle in the Grumpy Club. Humility is the name of Pedro's game. Summed up with his calm shrugging off of the falling into the river incident at Indianapolis which would have been a meme today, and his bemusement at the media attention around his supersub drive in Bahrain, as shown in the 2005 Season Review. Ben Edwards: "So, is he the day's superstar?" Pedro: "No! Superstar is the guy who wins the race!" (Cut to Fernando on the podium) Ben: "That'll be this man, then!" As Alonso was out and Michael Schumacher stood to profit in Hungary '06, I was on my feet yelling for Pedro to GET HIM!! Yes, contact, out, TAKE THAT!! I was suddenly Spanish that day. Don't tell Mick. Or Nico...

[@tomcharlton586]

thats a bit harsh on hulk, hes put in some top drawer performances this year. you dont get to drive 200 grand prix if youre shit, unless your last name is stroll.

[@7_bwoah]

11:17 i remember seeing pictures of Paffett in a 2006 papaya McLaren at some test. To me that is the most beautiful F1 car

[@LordMidichlorian]

I've always rated him highly (easier for me than most, since I'm Spanish) basically for a very simple reason: back in those early years when he was at Arrows, when there were so few overtakes, he always made overtakes on track, picking up positions after the start of the race. After leaving F1 he became cocommentator in the Spanish broadcasts. A little extra on regards to his relationship with Hamilton: in his commentary, something that was very clear in 2021 and extremely so in the British GP, he is extremely biased in favour of Hamilton. (Note I've not watched the channel he works in for reasons other than the F1 broadcast in itself, so I can't be 100% sure he's not reigned in that bias, but I'd bet heavily he still shows it).

[@joerieke300]

Dude, a hornet painted on the nose of an F1 car was cool at 24, and it's still cool at 50.👍

[@nesterus83]

Two random video ideas: 1.) Do a video about drivers who had unorthodox way to Formula 1 and how well they did compared to ones who had the normal way of starting carting from 3 to 10 years old route to F1. 2.) Take a closer look at early 2000s Arrows cars, IIRC they were actually pretty fast on track but didn't really go anywhere or score that many points.

[@gordon1891]

I was at that Silverstone test in 06 as a guest (thanks to a friend) of the then Midland/ Spyker team. Who were running Alex Premat. It was great as walking the paddock I was able to snag a few extra autographs amongst them Pedro's & he was such a decent bloke in the few moments I got to speak to him.

[@helenarmour184]

Hey, I was there as well ;-) but not in the privileged bit though, just turned up with a camera (free entry back then for testing) hung out down at luffield all day and unbeknownst to me at the time I was stood next to the Hamilton family for a couple of hours in the afternoon, who were also just hanging out down there, and also the only time Lewis drove on Michelins;-)

[@gordon1891]

@helenarmour184 wasn't that near where Karthikeyan binned his Williams? You was very lucky to meet the family Hamilton. I tried to get his autograph but he was on his way to an interview with Louise Goodman. & Got swamped by other people & I couldn't get close.

[@thesfdoctor3603]

Always thought this guy was massively underrated. He was a great midfield driver, he just lacked the "spark" that many famous drivers have (like Hulkenberg for example)

[@simontravers2715]

@AidanMillward Alonso: *Autoglass repair, Autoglass replace, come on young boy Lewis, please leave me the space!!* Gavin from Autoglass what a reference!

[@AidanMillward]

He’s one of our own, He’s one of our own! Gavin from Autoglass, he’s one of our own!

[@albertbm98]

I'm from Barcelona! A big fan of Pedro, he's great, also admire his career at Japan!

[@bonesdoes6142]

I recently rewatched the race Pedro got his podium. Someone uploaded it on KZbin and it was epic!

[@martindice5424]

He was a test pilot. Winkle Brown would be proud.

[@daniwalmsley611]

0:50 Im choosing to believe you didnt record two versions of that intro one for Ferrari and one for mclaren

[@AidanMillward]

I didn’t. I just went with McLaren and gambled.

[@BarbaricAvatar]

He's also a brilliant commentator on Spain's current F1 coverage. Which incidentally could teach Bonehead Croft a bunch of things on how to be a GOOD commentator: Hint: It's not telling everyone what they can already see for themselves.

[@seanonraet8327]

Pedro of the pink is an ambassador at Aston Martin now. Not quite sure what his job consists of there but they should probably get him testing again so they can actually develop a decent car

[@669Cookiemonster]

the mad lad actually managed to squeeze roberto moreno reference into the video

[@ToniDelgadoAbellan]

As usual great video Aidan! I suggest you look into the funny Ron Dennis steak episode in the McLaren / DLR / Hamilton saga 😂

[@geofftestpilot9076]

❤Pedro got 127% of the 86% an old black & orange ARROWS had on a good day!👏👍

[@Holanduzo]

18:22 to be more precise: Peter of the Rose.

[@ramsey1609]

Lovely video Aidan!!! Pedros career is so fun. Could you make a video about Hamiltons pre F1 testing? I feel there's a lot of misinformation going around

[@mike04574]

underrated. He definitely deserved more full seasons with mclaren

[@allgomesareevil6121]

Didn't Kimi score points on debut for Sauber-Petronas?

[@s0lsticefr4]

according to wikipedia he did

[@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1]

He did

[@AidanMillward]

He did by virtue of Panis getting a penalty. But why he’s not on that pub trivia list I don’t know. Probably because he didn’t finish in the points on track. Basically- don’t shoot the messenger. 🤣

[@GarkKahn]

Yeah 6th in melbourne After drinking too much and waking up late 😂

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

​@@GarkKahn And his superlicense was on probation

[@minibus9]

awesome video, looking forward to the next one. Pedro De la Rosa was a way better driver than he got to show

[@MotorsportManager-xd2vr]

Very good video! Thanks for that. And it immediately makes me wonder whether we should also think about some other long-term test drivers: Luca Badoer, Marc Gene, Ricardo Zonta. Would these guys also be worth a video? :)

[@caincha]

Was it de la Rosa on that Orange Arrows in Monaco back in the 90s? That had the driver behind (Couthard?) complaining to let him pass but ignoring they were actually fighting for position and - at that time - the Arrows was NOT a back marker. Don't remember much of that day to be honest (I believe the driver behind ended up passing) but the Arrows keeping the position for so many laps got more TV exposure for the team on that race than the entire season 😅

[@frankdocter]

That was Enrique (sp) Bernoldi. And DC stalled on the grid. That’s why they were fighting.

[@caincha]

@ thanks :)

[@ianwynne764]

Hello Aidan: I am old enough to remember the Formula Ford. The competition was very tough. Have a good day.

[@kevinprior3549]

A great Super Sub!

[@RubyRoks]

"We'd be here all day and i've taken up too much of your time already" 99% of the time i hear someone say that, I immediately want to tell them to continue yapping. I can and have watched your videos for hours on end, and while i understand it'd tank your metrics, i personally wouldn't be upset if your videos were 4 or 5 times as long as they are now.

[@15615145616513]

06:55 MAN that jag car was amazing looking. I really think top 5 livery in F1

[@Tacko14]

2:47 he what now? RC? Now, that's a fun fact for the pub. The ultimate fun fact, I'd say.

[@shadow7037932]

Yup. Kind of make sense in hindsight with his long test career now. Probably picked up all the fundamentals from it. Also, in DTS a couple of years ago we've seen Mick and others play around with RC cars.

[@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1]

I think Lewis/Alonso might be the last drivers currently on the grid who started from RC Cars shows their ages too lol

[@Alex.The.Lionnnnn]

Pretty keen to see a video on Oscar and his ability to break the laws of physics and just casually bass absolutely anyone around the outside with no fucks given.

[@_GuestFive]

Ah, the best No.3 driver an F1 team can get. And that’s no slight. Absolutely solid driver with great feedback, it no surprise McLaren and Ferrari had him as a test driver. I know this isn’t the video for Brundle but I do wonder what could have been without smashing his feet up?

[@jordza2k11]

Diniz having 99 is a weird stat

[@carldewet6428]

Quality Story Told Well.

[@VonBlade]

Weirdly I never remember him changing teams. My memory indicates he spent his whole career testing McLarens with a pair of sub appearances. Memories are odd as you get old.

[@Bigcountry_littlelegs]

Great job,

[@fiatascari]

Hey man love your work could you do a video on john Watson career I think you might find it really interesting

[@benska7190]

Some more pub trivia, which wasn’t mentioned in the video: Kimi is one of those drivers, who also scored a point in his debut race. I’m surprised Aidan missed this, he usually does his homework really well.

[@AidanMillward]

Kimi finished 7th and was only 6th because Panis got a penalty. Which is probably why he wasn’t on the list.

[@terminateshere]

Ties with M Schumacher as the last F1 driver of the 1990s to race in a Grand Prix. Would have the record solo had HRT kept on into 2013, as he had a contract there.

[@rossjenkins8457]

For 1999 aus Grand Prix. All drivers that finished in the points had some link to Jordan, too 5 had driven for them in races, PDLR was test driver

[@JohnSmithShields]

Another Roberto Moreno type driver, always there, never the best, but had genuine skills.

[@alexlazebat839]

why was luca badoer in ferrari for 10 years as pedro has been mclaren alot of years

[@reet-ko9lg]

10:53 NAIRAIN KARTHEKAYAN oh boy

[@teddyshepherd2854]

I have herd all kinds of stuff over the years about how test drivers were brilliant, or perhaps not quite so. Jos Verstappen evidently was held in such esteem as such a test driver. But back in the day when I first started to take a serious in F!, Jos destroyed the maiden win of a fellow that I had latched on to and fancied for a WDC in no short time. Juan Pablo Montoya.

[@LucasOliveira-tt2ll]

Alonso asked to keep him for 2007 when he arrived at the team, perhaps foreshadowing that a spanish test driver would be the best for him to secure the threepeat

[@GarkKahn]

In basketball he would be the eternal 6th man

[@djbadlt]

The rumor I heard about JPM was it was a mountain bike

[@tristanwhite3472]

He Raced for Orange Arrows as well.

[@tristanwhite3472]

He finished 5th in Bahrain 2005.

[@tristanwhite3472]

He did a good Job for McLaren in 2006 after Montoya left the team.

[@TomGorian]

we are still waiting for that spygate video

[@MrSaywutnow]

For all we know, Montoya was playing tennis on a dirtbike.

[@bumblebity2902]

Marc Gene: "Am I joke to you"?

[@mike04574]

pdr>

[@kryst4line]

@@mike04574 Both are true, but don't forget Marc is a LeMans absolute winner with Peugeot too

[@pokeboi5438]

5:32 I know it was from a penalty but Raikkonen did end up 6th on debut in 2001

[@tristanwhite3472]

He got his only Podium in Hungary 2006 2nd.

[@lionemessi]

I want to know who is better. Luca Badoer or Pedro De La Rosa

[@PaperBanjo64]

Pedro easily, he actually scored points and wasn't out of racing for a decade then came back and got a pun name Look how bad you are did.

[@lionemessi]

@PaperBanjo64 i actually know him only from his short stint next to Alonso but online ppl told me he was actually decent

[@PaperBanjo64]

@lionemessi I think if they had current point in the 90's he'd have scored points...Luca Badoer but his one drive in Ferrari was really bad but he also hadn't driven in a Grand Prix in 10 years Ferrari only did it aa a gesture as he was their test driver.

[@lionemessi]

@@PaperBanjo64 I see. Thats far far of from PDLR then.

[@PaperBanjo64]

@lionemessi my question is why didn't McLaren put Pedro in the car for 2008? Heikki Kovalainen did nothing but win 1 race in 2008 and nothing in 2009 his experience would've helped Lewis even more develop the 2009 car.

[@kevinprior3549]

How about a video on Nick Heidfeld? The best driver never to win a race.

[@tristanwhite3472]

I liked him.

[@RJFHMusic]

I remember his name from the F1 2011 game 😂

[@speedweenie7394]

You realize who else started with RC cars….. right? 🐐

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

He still has Bahrain lap record despite F1 cars get much faster these days

[@AidanMillward]

@@aslamnurfikri7640 might also have it on a technicality that they changed the radius of one corner by half an inch.

[@Zephirot080]

Hold up... Haven't you already made a Spygate video, or am I having a Mandela effect moment?

[@blackflagqwerty]

Badoer: Am I a joke to you?

[@TwentyNinerR]

Pedro de la Rosa outperformed him by miles.

[@alexlazebat839]

what about his weird 2011 canada call up, martin brundle says he drives like an old tart

[@dschoene57]

Martin Brundle is probably the best driver what never won a GP, after Chris Amon that is...

[@PaperBanjo64]

13:30 is Pedro that tall or Lewis that short!?

[@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1]

A bit of camera trick Pedro is 5”10 Lewis is 5”8.5

[@PaperBanjo64]

@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1 yeah I looked it up after it looked like Pedro was towering over Lewis.

[@brockside1575]

How about you do a piece on Tommy Byrne, an interesting story don’t you think Aidan.

[@ultim8mustapuro431]

Bro forgot Raikkonen who finished P6 in his first race..

[@AidanMillward]

@@ultim8mustapuro431 I know. This has already been brought up. But he was actually 7th then promoted up after Panis was penalised so that’s probably why he wasn’t on the list I saw.

[@ultim8mustapuro431]

@AidanMillward Very likely. As a Kimi fan just hit me different 😁

[@philllawrence1580]

* Badoer at 99 Euro GP

[@AidanMillward]

@@philllawrence1580 pinned comment.

[@philllawrence1580]

@AidanMillward I was absolutely gutted for him... that GP was mental!

[@scrubsrc4084]

But do you know?

[@robinbeckford]

Wasn't it de la Rosa caght in that high speed sandwich when Hakkinen took Schmacher at that Belgian GP? Squeaky bum moment.

[@kryst4line]

Nope, it was Ricardo Zonta

[@Truemackem98]

Didn't kimi get 6th on his sauber debut in 01?

[@AidanMillward]

Only after Panis was penalised.

[@Truemackem98]

@AidanMillward oh fair enough. Cracking vid as always

[@Snufflegrunt]

What is football?

[@AidanMillward]

@@Snufflegrunt the most popular sport on the planet. 👍🏻

[@Snufflegrunt]

@@AidanMillward No idea what you're talking about.

[@AidanMillward]

@ oooooh you’re the guy that whinged about it on another video

[@Snufflegrunt]

@@AidanMillward It’s not bad here. In fact it’s pretty funny in this one. I recall the video I “whinged” about it in had a lot of football in it, as in, if a viewer didn’t care about football then about a third of it was unwatchable. Big fan of your content… when you’re talking F1 on your F1 channel.

[@AidanMillward]

@@Snufflegrunt It's not just an F1 channel though. And the comparison to referees in football not being able to referee the same nation as their own or clubs they support/are affiliated with is a relevant comparison. Because it is possible to take cues from other sports.

[@jjssllmm]

Pedro sucked always the last option