Sep.25 (GMM) Pedro de la Rosa says he is unlikely to leave the McLaren team, even if he fails to retain his race seat.
The 35-year-old Spaniard, who could even be replaced by newly crowned GP2 champion Lewis Hamilton ahead of this weekend's Chinese grand prix, insisted that his future will 'always be bound' to the Woking outfit.
De la Rosa's seat has yet to be confirmed for the final races of 2006, but he is also in the running with Hamilton to become countryman Fernando Alonso's teammate next year.
''There is no chance that I am going to go to a less competitive team,'' Pedro, initially a McLaren test driver, said at the DTM race in Barcelona at the weekend.
But de la Rosa confessed that it is possible that rookie Hamilton, 21, will get his grand prix debut this season, but said he hoped to be confirmed soon for the remaining races in China, Japan and Brazil.
He said: ''I am enjoying my role at the moment and I would like to keep doing it for as long as possible.
''And then next year is a long way away.''
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