Pedro de la Rosa expects BMW Sauber to improve its performance in Australia, following a disappointing opening race of the season for the team in Bahrain.
Sauber had shown strongly throughout pre-season testing and was expected to challenge the likes of Williams, Renault and Force India for the final top-10 placings.
But de la Rosa and team-mate Kamui Kobayashi qualified just 14th and 16th at Sakhir, before both retired early in the race with mechanical problems.
De la Rosa admits the team's dissapointment with Bahrain, but expects the Melbourne circuit to suit his car better than Bahrain.
"The level of downforce should suit us more, so I am looking to Australia in a more optimistic way," he told AUTOSPORT. "Let's try and get some points there. We are not in a position to fight for wins, but we should be in a better position that we were in Bahrain.
"Generally we were slow all weekend, it was not a matter of only qualifying. But we know why we were uncompetitive in Bahrain - the new layout definitely didn't help. It was difficult because we were expecting to be more competitive.
"We found several issues, but then finally, although we didn't finish the race, I was actually quite happy with the pace. We could have fought with Rubens Barrichello and Robert Kubica for the last point so that is okay, that is acceptable, but we were expecting a lot more."
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Showing posts with label De la Rosa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label De la Rosa. Show all posts
Monday, 22 March 2010
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Pedro de la Rosa leaves McLaren for Sauber race seat
Sauber have signed McLaren reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa to complete their driver line-up for 2010.
De la Rosa, 38, has spent seven years at McLaren but will now return to racing for the first time since 2006.
"I always firmly believed I would be given another chance as a team driver," said De la Rosa. "I'm really excited about the season with Sauber."
The Spaniard, a veteran of 71 grands prix, will race alongside Japanese team-mate Kamui Kobayashi.
The team is back in the ownership of founder Peter Sauber after BMW withdrew from Formula 1 at the end of the 2009 season.
Sauber said he wanted one experienced driver and one novice in 2010 and believes the combination of De la Rosa and Kobayashi, who impressed when he was called up by Toyota to race in Brazil and Abu Dhabi last season, is the perfect match.
"Pedro has spent many years working for a top team at the highest technical level," added Sauber.
"We as a team stand to gain from his experience and the same goes for young Kamui.
"The combination of a seasoned racer and an up and coming young driver has repeatedly proved a very fruitful one.
"I don't expect either of them to disappoint in 2010."
After a spell testing for Jordan, De la Rosa made his grand prix debut with Arrows in 1999 before moving to Jaguar.
In 2003, he joined McLaren as their test driver and was called upon to deputise for Juan Pablo Montoya nine times.
When the Colombian quit F1 for the Nascar Series in the United States in 2006, De la Rosa filled his race seat and went on to score his first podium, finishing second behind Jenson Button at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The ban on in-season testing, introduced in 2009 as part of an initiative to cut costs, has since limited De la Rosa's mileage.
He will be 39 by the opening race in Bahrain on 14 March and revealed a desire to get back behind the wheel prompted his decision to end his tenure at McLaren.
"Since the number of test drives were radically reduced, this was what I was working towards," added De la Rosa.
Pedro will be remembered by all at McLaren as, not only an esteemed colleague, but also a good friend
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh
"I'm excited about Peter Sauber's team, which has been a solid fixture in Formula 1 ever since 1993."
Gary Paffett is McLaren's remaining reserve driver but the team have not confirmed who will take over De la Rosa's duties at the forthcoming pre-season tests.
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: "Pedro has never made any secret of his continued ambition to race in Formula 1, so we were never going to stand in his way should an attractive opportunity come his way. On the contrary, we wish him well.
"He's been a fantastic team player for the past seven years, has contributed a huge amount to our successes in that time, and will remembered by all at McLaren as, not only an esteemed colleague, but also a good friend."
De la Rosa, 38, has spent seven years at McLaren but will now return to racing for the first time since 2006.
"I always firmly believed I would be given another chance as a team driver," said De la Rosa. "I'm really excited about the season with Sauber."
The Spaniard, a veteran of 71 grands prix, will race alongside Japanese team-mate Kamui Kobayashi.
The team is back in the ownership of founder Peter Sauber after BMW withdrew from Formula 1 at the end of the 2009 season.
Sauber said he wanted one experienced driver and one novice in 2010 and believes the combination of De la Rosa and Kobayashi, who impressed when he was called up by Toyota to race in Brazil and Abu Dhabi last season, is the perfect match.
"Pedro has spent many years working for a top team at the highest technical level," added Sauber.
"We as a team stand to gain from his experience and the same goes for young Kamui.
"The combination of a seasoned racer and an up and coming young driver has repeatedly proved a very fruitful one.
"I don't expect either of them to disappoint in 2010."
After a spell testing for Jordan, De la Rosa made his grand prix debut with Arrows in 1999 before moving to Jaguar.
In 2003, he joined McLaren as their test driver and was called upon to deputise for Juan Pablo Montoya nine times.
When the Colombian quit F1 for the Nascar Series in the United States in 2006, De la Rosa filled his race seat and went on to score his first podium, finishing second behind Jenson Button at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The ban on in-season testing, introduced in 2009 as part of an initiative to cut costs, has since limited De la Rosa's mileage.
He will be 39 by the opening race in Bahrain on 14 March and revealed a desire to get back behind the wheel prompted his decision to end his tenure at McLaren.
"Since the number of test drives were radically reduced, this was what I was working towards," added De la Rosa.
Pedro will be remembered by all at McLaren as, not only an esteemed colleague, but also a good friend
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh
"I'm excited about Peter Sauber's team, which has been a solid fixture in Formula 1 ever since 1993."
Gary Paffett is McLaren's remaining reserve driver but the team have not confirmed who will take over De la Rosa's duties at the forthcoming pre-season tests.
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: "Pedro has never made any secret of his continued ambition to race in Formula 1, so we were never going to stand in his way should an attractive opportunity come his way. On the contrary, we wish him well.
"He's been a fantastic team player for the past seven years, has contributed a huge amount to our successes in that time, and will remembered by all at McLaren as, not only an esteemed colleague, but also a good friend."
Thursday, 26 November 2009
De la Rosa still seeking F1 race drive
McLaren's reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa says he is doing everything he can to secure a racing seat in Formula 1 next season.
The Spaniard has been linked with drives at the new Campos Meta and US F1 squads, although the first option seems less likely as team boss Adrian Campos admitted it was hard to find Spanish backers.
De la Rosa's chances at US F1 seemed to increase when the team confirmed it would have its European base at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain.
The 38-year-old says there's no rush to confirm his plans, but admits he's working hard to secure a racing seat.
"It's still early," the Spaniard was quoted as saying by the EFE news agency. "There's no hurry to make a decision. It's true that US F1 and Motorland reached a deal to have its European logistic base in Alcaniz. The important thing is that the project materialised.
"I don't know what will happen after that. I don't know what team I will drive for or in what capacity.
"I can happily stay at McLaren as a reserve driver, and I could do that while racing for another team, or just race for another team. I don't know, that's the answer.
"There are options, and whatever I do, people has to be clear that I'm trying everything I can to return to racing in F1."
De la Rosa admitted he never thought getting a racing drive at McLaren was a possibility for next year.
"It's clear that with Button and Hamilton McLaren has drivers for several years. I honestly never believed that I had any options to get that drive, just like in previous years I felt the place was mine. Not this time. I'm working in other direction."
The Spaniard has been linked with drives at the new Campos Meta and US F1 squads, although the first option seems less likely as team boss Adrian Campos admitted it was hard to find Spanish backers.
De la Rosa's chances at US F1 seemed to increase when the team confirmed it would have its European base at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain.
The 38-year-old says there's no rush to confirm his plans, but admits he's working hard to secure a racing seat.
"It's still early," the Spaniard was quoted as saying by the EFE news agency. "There's no hurry to make a decision. It's true that US F1 and Motorland reached a deal to have its European logistic base in Alcaniz. The important thing is that the project materialised.
"I don't know what will happen after that. I don't know what team I will drive for or in what capacity.
"I can happily stay at McLaren as a reserve driver, and I could do that while racing for another team, or just race for another team. I don't know, that's the answer.
"There are options, and whatever I do, people has to be clear that I'm trying everything I can to return to racing in F1."
De la Rosa admitted he never thought getting a racing drive at McLaren was a possibility for next year.
"It's clear that with Button and Hamilton McLaren has drivers for several years. I honestly never believed that I had any options to get that drive, just like in previous years I felt the place was mine. Not this time. I'm working in other direction."
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