The Secret Life of Pedro de la Rosa
He may have been a paddock fixture for 13 years, notched up 78 Grand Prix starts and 29 world championship points, but we bet there’s an awful lot you don’t know about BMW Sauber’s Pedro de la Rosa, including his fear of flying, his youthful Smurf collection, and a worrying addiction to an Italian dessert. Find out more about Spaniard De la Rosa in the latest instalment of our Secret Life series…
Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?
Pedro de la Rosa: No. I am not a lateral thinker. I am a straight-line thinker - if there is a rock in front of me I’ll try to go through it. I am like a bull in that respect. I am not that smart.
Q: Apart from driving a Formula One car, what is your favourite buzz?
PdlR: Being with the right people. I could be in a cave with no light, but if I am with my kids and my wife I am a happy man.
Q: Who is your dream date?
PdlR: There are so many people I would love to meet. One would have been Ayrton Senna, the other one would be Lance Armstrong. He is someone I admire massively because I cycle a lot and I know how tough cycling is. It is ten times tougher than racing a Formula One car from the physical side. I would like to get into his brain to see how he thinks and how much he can suffer.
Q: Which film last made you cry?
PdlR: I haven’t cried at a movie lately, as far as I can remember. I cried reading a book - The Bridges of Madison County - but that was some time ago, when I was younger and more sensitive. Now I am tough! (laughs).
Q: What are you afraid of?
PdlR: I am quite scared of planes because I sometimes dream that I die in a plane crash.
Q: What was the last book you read?
PdlR: I read Perfume, by Patrick Suskind. That was by far my favourite book lately.
Q: Name five things that you hate?
PdlR: Dishonest people, hypocrisy, lies, unpunctual people (like my wife!) and smelly people.
Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?
PdlR: Yes, I have done it in the past. It was a little bit darker than my original colour. It was a mess and I am sure I will never do it again because sometimes you learn from bad experiences.
Q: What was the first CD you bought?
PdlR: It wasn’t a CD, that came later. The first tape was Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA. It is still my favourite album. It was the first one, and the best.
Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
PdlR: No, I’d hate one on myself. But I like to see them on other people.
Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school report?
PdlR: That he is very committed and he works very hard. He’s not that clever but he always gives his best.
Q: Who were your childhood heroes?
PdlR: Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and of course my father - he has always been my top hero.
Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?
PdlR: I like tiramisu. I would eat a tiramisu every night if I could, so I have to control myself and not get too carried away.
Q: Do you collect anything?
PdlR: Not any more. When I was younger I collected Smurfs. That was a long time ago. It was my first and last collection. Now I am not interested in collecting anything. But wait a minute… I’m lying. I have a collection of all my helmets. From every year I’ve raced I have at least one helmet. It must be around 30 helmets.
Q: What do you miss most about home when you’re travelling?
PdlR: I miss my family. Still, after all those years of travelling, I feel very weak when I am not with them. And I miss the Spanish news. When I go to a hotel room, the first thing I do is look for a Spanish channel! I leave it on all the time and then I feel like I’m home.
Q: What was your worst buy?
PdlR: I haven’t had any bad buys yet. Actually I’m very proud of that. I think before buying.
Q: How do you take your coffee?
PdlR: I always have an espresso macchiato.
Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?
PdlR: Waking up in Majorca and going cycling.
Q: What was your first car or vehicle?
PdlR: I had a Montesa 50cc, when I was five or six years-old. I started with that little motorbike before starting with a kart.
Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?
PdlR: It was in 1996 in Aida, Japan. Toyota had brought out a new supercar, completely white. It had just come out of the oven and I was told to do an installation lap, but the car never came back. I destroyed the car on the back straight. There was some snow on the track and I destroyed the car. I came back to the pits and told them that there was no more car and the mechanics thought I was joking. I really did not have the balls to take my helmet off! I could not look them in the eyes.
Q: What is the best thing you can cook?
PdlR: I can only cook Spaghetti. It’s very good though.
Q: When was the last time you were really angry?
PdlR: Very recently. That was after the Spanish Grand Prix. When I got back to my hotel room I banged every wall in there.
Racing History
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2010
Like fellow veteran returnee Michael Schumacher, struggles to attain performance level many had predicted. Hampered by an uncompetitive and unreliable car, retires from all four of season's opening flyaway rounds.
2007 - 2009
Returns to his testing role at McLaren for three seasons. Signs to race for BMW Sauber for 2010.
2006
Continues as test driver then steps into race seat for French Grand Prix after Juan Pablo Montoya's shock departure.
2005
Test and third driver for McLaren. Gets unexpected race call up for Bahrain after Juan Pablo Montoya injures his shoulder.
2004
Second year as McLaren tester.
2003
Joins McLaren as official test driver.
2002
Continues with Jaguar. Fails to score any points.
2001
Joins Jaguar mid season. Scores three points to finish 16th in driver standings.
2000
Second season with Arrows. Best results sixth places at the European and German Grands Prix.
1999
Debut Formula One season with Arrows. Scores single point at the Australian Grand Prix.
1998
Formula One test driver for Jordan.
1997
Formula Nippon F3000 Champion, with 10 podium finishes, and All-Japan GT Champion.
1996
Eighth in Formula Nippon F3000 series and the All Japan GT Championship.
1995
Formula Three Japanese Champion.
1994
British Formula Three Series.
1993
Sixth in British Formula Renault Championship.
1992
British and European Formula Renault Champion.
1991
Fourth in Spanish Formula Renault Championship, with three podium finishes.
1990
Spanish Formula Ford 1600 Champion, plus two podiums
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