De la Rosa desperate for dry test day

The Sauber driver, who is returning to full-time racing this season after starting just nine grands prix since 2003, finished the first day of this week's Jerez test fifth on the timesheet.

But while he said that the team had made the most of the dry spells available to them, he personally needed more consistent conditions to get back up to speed.

"The track was never fully dry, but we used it properly for the info that we wanted," he said.

"Another wet day in Spain, you know? It's difficult to learn a lot about the car and the tyres in these conditions, but you just have to have the patience to wait for tomorrow and hope that it will be drier. I am desperate for dry running.

"That's all I can say. I am desperate, because I need the dry running and it's the only way of learning about myself, the car and the new regulations.

"But the only good thing is that it is the same for everyone - there is no team at Mugello, or at Barcelona, that has had a dry day's running. It is the same for everyone. So at the end of the day, we are all on the same playing field."

Recent forecasts for the region have suggested that the weather will worsen as the week goes on, although some late reports are hinting that things could clear up for the final day on Saturday.

De la Rosa is scheduled to remain in the car tomorrow before handing it over to team-mate Kamui Kobayashi for the final two days.