Beijing, Nov 4 : Pedro de la Rosa smiles when asked if he still considers himself a racing driver. "You're born a racing driver, and you die a racing driver," he says. "Even if I'm not racing now, I still think like one." More than three decades after entering Formula 1 as a test driver with Jordan in 1998, De la Rosa has come full circle. Today, the 54-year-old Spaniard serves as team ambassador for Aston Martin, the modern descendant of the team where his F1 journey began.

"My work is mainly to help the team on the commercial, marketing, and media side," he explains. "But I also get to drive some incredible cars - Hypercars, historic Formula 1 cars - and I come to a lot of races. It keeps me busy and connected to the world I love."

De la Rosa's F1 racing career spanned nine seasons and 104 starts for largely midfield teams, but the Spaniard earned wider recognition as one of the sport's most trusted and technically precise test drivers.

While Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya were collecting wins for McLaren in the mid-2000s, De la Rosa was the quiet force behind the scenes, logging tens of thousands of kilometers as he fettled temperamental cars into race-winning machines, chasing away handling quirks and reliability gremlins with methodical persistence.

His professionalism and calm authority also earned him the respect of his peers. In 2008, he was unanimously elected chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association - trusted as a measured, experienced voice who could mediate between drivers, teams, and officials on issues like safety and race protocols.

"What makes a good test driver is adaptability," he says. "You're not testing for yourself, you're testing for the team. At McLaren, Kimi and Juan Pablo had completely different driving styles, so I had to switch modes in my head instantly."

But times have changed. "Test drivers today aren't test drivers anymore, they're simulator drivers," he says. "After my last racing season in 2012, I joined Ferrari but hardly drove the car. You lose touch with reality. The worst simulator driver is one who has no reference from real life."

Electric lessons

After leaving Formula 1, De la Rosa joined the Chinese-owned DS Techeetah team in Formula E as technical and sporting director, helping the team to two championships during a period of major transition.

"They needed help on the sporting side, so they called me," De la Rosa says. "Then the team moved from the UK to France. It was a lot of work - moving people, building a new base - but we still won two titles."

He even ended up driving one of the electric cars himself. "During a private test in Berlin, Andre Lotterer hurt his ribs on the bumps, and they asked me to jump in. I'd never driven a Formula E car before. I used his helmet, his overalls, and did the test. It was incredibly physical. People think Formula E is easy, but it's not. You're constantly managing energy and communication with your engineer. It's stressful but fascinating."

Return to familiar ground

Back at Aston Martin, De la Rosa finds himself surrounded by familiar faces. "When I arrived, I met people I'd worked with 26 or 27 years ago," he says. "Andy Stevenson, our team manager, used to be a mechanic in the test team. Some of the same mechanics are still at the factory. I started here, and I want to finish here."

The team has grown into a global operation with nearly a thousand staff, but he insists its character remains. "The danger when you grow is losing that family feeling. But here we still have it. We're open with each other. At other teams, departments often hide information. Here we share it - that's our strength."

Alonso's enduring brilliance

De la Rosa lights up when speaking about Aston Martin's current driver, Fernando Alonso, with whom he shares both nationality and deep admiration. At 44, Alonso is by some distance F1's oldest and most experienced driver, but De la Rosa says there are no signs of slowing him down even as he approaches his 23rd year on the grid.

"He's amazing. Still as fast and strong as ever," De la Rosa says of his compatriot. "Every weekend I ask myself what he'll do to surprise us. It's up to us to give him a car so good that he can't retire."

When told of Flavio Briatore's remark that Alonso would still be a title contender with a top car, De la Rosa nods without hesitation. "Absolutely. 120 percent."

Spain's Motorsport Passion

With Madrid joining Barcelona on the F1 calendar, Spain will host two races next season. This has raised questions over whether the country can sustain more than one grand prix while many others have none, but De la Rosa believes the demand is there.

"The fan base is huge now. We have Fernando, Carlos Sainz, and a lot of new talent. Barcelona already has a ten-year deal, and Madrid is pushing for one too. Considering France, Germany, and Portugal have none, having two in Spain is outstanding."

Despite not possessing the same automotive heritage as Britain, France, or Germany, Spain has nevertheless had world champions in F1, rally, and MotoGP - a success rate De la Rosa puts down to the country's lifestyle. "We're an outdoor country," he says. "We have good weather, great tracks, and kids who grow up riding and racing. Every week, I go karting near Barcelona and see children aged four to ten training seriously. That's where all those champions came from."

The next wave

Asked who might be Spain's next world champion, De la Rosa laughs. "Well, it can't be De la Rosa anymore! I hope Fernando gets his third title - he deserves it. Otherwise, there's Alex Palou in IndyCar, who's really special, and young drivers like Pepe Marti, Mari Boya, and Bruno del Pino, who's my nephew, by the way!"

But he warns that young Spaniards need better backing. "Our F4 and Eurocup-3 series are great, but most of the grid isn't Spanish. Companies put their budgets into Formula One or MotoGP instead of grassroots. We risk losing a generation if that doesn't change."

He stands to leave, but adds one more line with a quiet smile. "I started here," he says, glancing toward the Aston Martin garage, "and I want to finish here."

/IANS