De la Rosa concerned by staff movements

The merry-go-round of boffins has always been key in F1, but only recently have drivers begun to voice their concern over the effect on teams when pivotal members of staff move on.

"It is worrying when you are in a team where important technical staff are leaving," said de la Rosa at the Autosport International Show. "From a driver's point of view it doesn't make you feel very comfortable."

The 29-year-old is not the first driver to speak out. A spate of departures from the Jordan-Honda team, including technical director Mike Gascoyne to Benetton last summer and chief designer Mark Smith who followed last week, caused Jarno Trulli to voice his concern recently.

De la Rosa's comments come in the wake of continued speculation that the Arrows team is to lose it's coveted chief designer and aerodynamics expert Eghbal Hamidy to Jordan.

"People don't realise how important it is to keep a working group together," continued de la Rosa. "The moment you start making big changes, maybe for the long term they are better, but they always affect the short term.

"Even if you bring a better person on board they maybe want to do things differently and at the end of the day you are slower on the track - initially."

The Spaniard has not been officially announced as an Arrows driver for 2001, but the deal is thought to be a formality. Dutchman Jos Verstappen should partner de la Rosa again in the Leafield-based team.