De la Rosa Hits Back at 'House Seller' Irvine

Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa says he has learnt more in a month of Formula One testing for McLaren than in all his time at Jaguar.

The former Grand Prix driver, in an interview with Marca newspaper on Saturday, also hit back at his former teammate Eddie Irvine and suggested he stick to selling houses in America. The two were an uncomfortable pairing at Jaguar in 2001 and 2002 before both were replaced. The Spaniard joined McLaren as a second test driver in April.

"Being a test driver in a small team makes no sense, you don't learn or practise, but I have learned more at McLaren so far than I did in all my time at Jaguar," de la Rosa said.

Irvine, who failed to secure another drive in Formula One and has property interests around the world, was quoted in The Sun newspaper last month as saying he could not understand why McLaren had signed the Spaniard.

The outspoken Northern Irishman criticised his technical feedback and suggested McLaren should have signed Ferrari's Brazilian former test driver Luciano Burti instead.

"I don't want to waste time on the subject," said de la Rosa, who declared last season that the worst thing about being at Jaguar was working with Irvine. "I would just like to wish Eddie all the best in his new job selling houses in Miami. I'm sure he'll be number one at that.

"I am in F1 and he isn't and the only way he can get in the newspapers is by criticising Schumacher, Barrichello, Button or myself. I wish him luck."