The 21-year-old starlet...

The 21-year-old starlet will test for McLaren this week at Jerez in Spain to let team chiefs gauge if he’s ready to step into the seat Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa currently occupies. McLaren boss Ron Dennis confirmed: “Lewis will test this week, but whether anything comes out of it to change our current thinking for the Brazilian GP, time will tell. The test is not an evaluation of his capabilities as a driver. That is not the objective. It is to give him more mileage on a different type of circuit and to learn things that are important for us for Brazil. No decision has been taken, but as and when it is we’ll announce it.”

Dennis did, however, warn that it would be bad for Hamilton to race before he was ready: “This is a hero- to-zero sport, so why put anything at risk? The guy has enjoyed a brilliant career so far. I can’t see throwing him in at the deep end is a particularly smart thing to do.”