Stewart: Hamilton should partner Alonso

The Scot, a triple champion and former team owner, says the 21-year-old Briton has demonstrated his worth and is ready for the big stage.

"I think he has an enormous future, he has got clearly great talent and now he has to step up to the next level," Stewart told Reuters at last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

"No matter what you have done in the formative classes of the sport, you've still got to cut your teeth again in the big time with different pressure but it seems to me that he is very well adjusted."

Asked whether he would put Hamilton, still untested in a Formula One environment, straight into the race seat if he were in McLaren boss Ron Dennis's shoes, the response was immediate.

"Yes I would. If I am going to have Alonso in the team, who am I going to put alongside Alonso? I'd rather have somebody for the future. And Alonso and him long term could be fantastic," said the former Monaco winner.

"We've seen it with (Kimi) Raikkonen, we've seen it with Alonso. Giving them the break at the right time."

Stewart said he believed Hamilton, leader of the GP2 support series that is considered a prime feeder for Formula One, had the same potential as McLaren's Finn and Renault's World Champion.

McLaren have not started a season with a rookie driver since Michael Andretti came over from America in 1993 but have hinted that could change.

"Will he be in Formula One next year? I believe he will be," said Dennis in Monaco, where Hamilton dominated the GP2 race. "With which team? I don't know yet."

McLaren signed Alonso for 2007 last year, leaving a question mark over his future teammate.

Raikkonen's retirement from Sunday's race only added to the feeling that the 'Iceman' will leave for Ferrari while Colombian teammate Juan Pablo Montoya's future is also likely to be elsewhere.

McLaren have backed and supported Hamilton for a decade, helping the karting prodigy win in every junior category and steering him steadily towards Formula One where he promises to be the first black race driver.

The spotlight will be truly on him at the British Grand Prix next week, despite being in a junior category, because he is one home driver who can be expected to win.

David Coulthard managed a fine third place for Red Bull in Monaco, their first podium finish, but his form on that tight and twisty street circuit is unlikely to be repeated on Silverstone's fast and flowing layout.

Fans can expect little of Honda's Jenson Button, the great hope of recent years who was as good as invisible in Monaco.

Hamilton is the coming man, the driver who threatens to eclipse Button and Coulthard in the future and could well have more words written about him than the other two over the course of the next week.

"I just have to wait and see," Hamilton told Reuters when asked about 2007.

"I want to win the GP2 title and I'm sure my results will speak for themselves. I'm going to push as hard as possible, 110 percent, and if I win the championship then what can I do? Hopefully I will have an opportunity to race.

"If I have no option to drive, then a third driver role would be perfect...but I'm a racer - I need to be out on the track racing, that's what I do best.

"There's nowhere else to go but Formula One," he added. "Rosberg has done it, he's shown that it is possible to get into a Formula One car and be quick and do well and hopefully I will have the opportunity to do that."

Germany's Nico Rosberg, son of 1982 champion Keke, landed a race drive with Williams this year after winning the inaugural GP2 title last year.

Silverstone will be the perfect shop window for Hamilton to press his case and show his home crowd just what he can do.

"I'm looking forward to Silverstone," he said. "Silverstone is another special event for me because it's my home ground and that's the place I really want to win this year."