De la Rosa: drivers rivalry helps McLaren

Two-time Alonso and rookie Hamilton have won the last three races to edge clear of their Ferrari rivals, with the Briton leading the standings by ten points from his Spanish teammate.

McLaren's recent superiority has led to an intense on-track rivalry between Alonso and Hamilton, and de la Rosa is adamant that will only help the team more forward.

"I think it's beneficial for the team because it makes everybody more motivated, and it helps the development of the car and to progress in every aspect," the Spaniard was quoted as saying by AS newspaper.

"Besides, there's a fact: since the fight between them began, McLaren have won all races."

De la Rosa also warned not to write off Ferrari from the championship fight, despite the Italian squad having failed to fight for victory in their last three outings.

"The championship will be decided in the last races and for sure we will be there, but we can't rule out Ferrari because they are going to make progress and I'm sure they will be up in front," de la Rosa added.

"In any case, this year the most important thing is reliability because there are very few cars capable of winning races, and the one with less problems will have a big advantage."