De la Rosa out to surprise in 2010

The Spaniard, who has spent recent seasons testing for McLaren, has not raced full-time since 2002 but is confident that he will show well on his F1 return.

"I would not be here if I did not think I still had what it takes," he told the official F1 website. "I have a huge amount of motivation.

"I am a hard worker and I think that is the most important thing at this level...to still have the motivation and hunger to attack, and to work everyday as if it was the last day. So yes, I have what it takes.

"How good will I be? We will see! I believe I can be a lot better than people expect and let's take it from there. It is a long winter. We have four weeks of great testing ahead and I will gradually get back to speed."

De la Rosa believes that his years of testing for McLaren have made him a better driver - which he hopes will be reflected on track.

"I think my experience is a massive asset," he said. "You do not gain experience in a few months or in one year. It is over years that you gain experience and that is what I can bring to the team.

"I want to help my team mate Kamui (Kobayashi) as well because he is quick, young and inexperienced. We need to be a very strong unit to exploit the team's great potential and I think that I can contribute to achieving that.

"When asked for his predictions about the performance of BMW Sauber in 2010, he said: "Well, let's be realistic. I need to spend more time with the team and with the people. I need to learn more about the 2010 car, and we'll need to wait until we start testing in February to answer this question.

"This is my first day at work! We need to set goals that are achievable. However, I would be disappointed if we were not in a position to fight for points on a regular basis."