Stewart: McLaren should sign Hamilton for 07.

Three-times F1 world champion, Sir Jackie Stewart has urged McLaren-Mercedes to sign Lewis Hamilton for 2007 - and partner the 21-year old with Fernando Alonso, who has already agreed a deal to join the Woking based squad from Renault next year.

Speaking to Reuters at the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend, when asked if Hamilton has what it takes to step up to F1, the Scot was in doubt that the GP2 series' star has the necessary skills to shine at the pinnacle of the sport.

"Yes I would," replied Stewart, when asked if he was Ron Dennis, if he would opt for Alonso and Hamilton. "If I was 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.

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

Hamilton, who currently leads the race for the GP2 series drivers' title, 10 points ahead of Nelson Piquet Jr., once again impressed at the Principality, when he comfortably took his third win of the season in F1's feeder series.

"I think he has an enormous future, he has clearly got great talent and now he has to step up to the next level," added Stewart. "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."