Mar.11 (GMM) Pedro de la Rosa insists it is "too early" for anyone to write off McLaren ahead of the 2011 season.

It was actually the British team's own race drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button who had admitted the MP4-26 is not currently a title winner.

That earned the rebuke from boss Martin Whitmarsh on Thursday that the entire F1 world needs to "wait and see how the season unfolds".

De la Rosa, newly returned to his former post as McLaren's main test and reserve driver, agreed: "It is too early to draw conclusions.

"It does appear that a couple of teams seem to be stronger than the others, but until Australia you can't really say anything.

"There are two weeks to go and in this game that's a lot. Let's be cautious," he is quoted by Spanish media.

"Let's see what we have and how we can develop it."

Latest F1 News - Mobile version

26 Feb: New Ferrari not quickest in field - Domenicali 26 Feb: Red Bull still best in 2013 - Tost 26 Feb: 2014 French grand prix 'possible' - Prost 26 Feb: Danica Patrick 'not interested' in F1 switch 26 Feb: Report - Gilles Simon working on F1 engine for Honda 26 Feb: Gutierrez plays down link to Carlos Slim 26 Feb: Caterham exhaust 'legal' insists van der Garde 26 Feb: McLaren replaces Mercedes-bound Lowe 25 Feb: 'Engine maps' trouble for Red Bull, Lotus - report 25 Feb: Mercedes-bound Lowe to miss 2013 opener - report 25 Feb: Mercedes 'in group of teams' behind Red Bull - Lauda 25 Feb: Gutierrez expects Hulkenberg to beat him early in 2013 25 Feb: New Ferrari 'much better' than 2012 - Massa 25 Feb: Teams 'will adapt' to new tyre situation - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Tight rules make today's F1 cars 'the same' - Forghieri 25 Feb: Williams removes controversial exhaust trick 25 Feb: Contract 'conflicts' cause of Marussia test snub - Razia 25 Feb: Lotus to fight Red Bull for title - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Marussia 'ahead of Caterham' - Chilton 25 Feb: Sutil will not stay in F1 as test driver The latest F1 News - Mobile Version