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Adrian Campos has said he would like to use Spanish drivers when his new Campos Grand Prix team joins the Formula One grid next year.

Campos Grand Prix will be based in Madrid and Valencia and will use a chassis designed by Dallara and a Cosworth engine.

Spain’s AS newspaper said that four drivers were in the running for a race seat with the team in 2010: new Le Mans winner, Marc Gené,  GP2 driver Javi Villa, former Force India test driver Roldan Rodriguez and McLaren third driver Pedro de la Rosa.

Thanks to his recent Le Mans success, the press have focussed on Marc Gené, but I’m more interested in seeing Pedro de la Rosa’s name in connection with a race seat.

I like Pedro.  He is a very experienced driver, having been in Formula One for ten years and as well as being an excellent test driver has performed well when required to take the McLaren out on race day.  He finished second in the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix behind Jenson Button.

Lewis Hamilton thinks he’s ok, too:

I’ve known Pedro since he joined the team in 2003.  His approach, outlook and positivity were an inspiration to me as I prepared to make my Formula 1 debut.  His efforts over the years have lifted this team to some phenomenal heights.  I am proud of what Pedro has done – and continues to do – for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, the guy is a legend.

Legend he may be, but at 38 de la Rosa is also the oldest driver in Formula One, older even than Rubens Barrichello.  But like Barrichello he clearly still has a passion to race in Formula One and as David Coulthard proved with Red Bull, what a young team really needs is an experienced driver.

It seems Pedro de la Rosa still has ambitions for an F1 race seat. The 37-year-old Spanish driver has been in Formula One since starting as a test driver with Jordan in 1998.  Since then he has driven for Arrows and Jaguar before joining McLaren as test driver in 2003. He is one of the few drivers to have scored points in his debut Grand Prix and he finished in second place behind Jenson Button at the eventful 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Speaking at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, de la Rosa said:

At the moment, at my age, if I put one step in a different category I know that my chances of getting back into a full race drive are very slim.

So I have to be with the best, I have to test with the best, and become a more intelligent and complete test driver.

So that’s my only chance to come back, but for sure I will come back.

Is it too late for Pedro? He is the same age as David Coulthard who retired at the end of last season and with Lewis Hamilton taking Alonso’s record to become the youngest ever Formula One Champion at age 23 F1 seems to be more and more a young man’s game. Sebastien Vettel is only 21 (and looks about 15). Even Rubens Barrichello is younger than de la Rosa.

I admire Pedro for keeping the dream alive. I think he is a good driver and has put in some impressive performances when he has had to step into the McLaren on race day.  I would like to see him with a permanent race seat. But that being said I can’t really see it happening. There comes a time when if you haven’t made it by now you’re not going to.

It could be that de la Rosa is just better as a test driver than as a race driver and this is where Ron Dennis thinks he can be of most value to the team. I think we need to look at the test driver role not as simply a stepping stone to a full race seat but as a vital team role that takes as much, if somewhat different, skill as a race driver. Just like the safety car driver is an important role that has its own unique demands.

Unfortunately safety car drivers and test drivers don’t get the same salary as race drivers and if in his heart Pedro still wants a race seat then he is probably right that if he sets foot outside of Formula One he will never get back in again.