De la Rosa unsure of next F1 role

Pedro de la Rosa is returning to his native Barcelona this week unsure about his future in formula one.

After he was ousted as race driver last year by Sauber, the 39-year-old become the main tester for incoming tyre supplier Pirelli.

But after testing the Italian marque’s wet tyres over four nights in Abu Dhabi this week, Spaniard de la Rosa’s contract is now set to expire.

“The truth is I don’t know what will happen next,” he told Barcelona radio Rac1.

“In January the contract with Pirelli ends and my priority is to find a seat in formula one,” added de la Rosa, who has been linked with the remaining race cockpit at HRT but is believed to not have enough sponsorship funding.

He agreed that the current situation for aspiring F1 racers is “very difficult”.

“If I don’t race I would be happy to continue in F1 as a reserve driver,” announced de la Rosa.

He spent several years as McLaren’s main test driver, but de la Rosa insists he is currently “not close to any teams, even McLaren”.

“This is an important time for my sporting career,” he added, not ruling out a longer stay with Pirelli given that the marque is only just beginning its new F1 tenure.

© RIF | GMM