McLaren prodigy Lewis Hamilton has ruled out making his Formula 1 race debut in 2006, as speculation mounts that the 21-year-old British star could be partnered alongside Fernando Alonso in the team next season.

Hamilton, who won the GP2 Series championship after a season-long battle with Nelson Piquet Jr, is taking part in first full test at Silverstone this week since graduating to F1.

But he played down suggestions that this week’s three-day test could be perceived as a shoot-out between himself and the current incumbent of the second McLaren seat Pedro de la Rosa for the ’07 drive.

“From my understanding I don’t think they are analysing these tests and saying ‘if you do better than Pedro then you will be in the seat’,” Hamilton said at Silverstone on Tuesday.

“It’s just to give me some time.

“I think I deserve it. It’s been a long hard journey and finally I am here – so it just to give me a bit of a taster.”

Hamilton added that he didn’t expect to be testing for McLaren so soon after winning the GP2 Series – which he did at Monza just over a week ago – and only got the call from McLaren at the start of the week.

But he cautioned against high expectations and said that while his ambition remains to become an F1 race driver in 2007, he needs time to prepare himself.

“With enough testing… I will be ready,” he declared.

When asked if he thought he would get a race before the end of the season, he simply replied: “I don’t think so, no.”