De la Rosa hopes to race all season

Test driver de la Rosa will return to racing at this weekend's French Grand Prix after Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya parted company with McLaren following his decision to move to NASCAR in 2007.

Magny-Cours will see de la Rosa make his second race appearance for McLaren after standing in for the injured Montoya in Bahrain last year.

De la Rosa, a former Arrows and Jaguar driver before joining McLaren, finished a strong fifth in that race and will be eager to show his pace with the team yet to confirm their second driver for 2007.

The Spanish driver said he is not guaranteed the seat for the remainder of the season, but he doesn't believe this will be his last chance to show he deserves a racing drive.

"All I can say really is that I have only been told that I do the next few races and that is it," said de la Rosa. "It is not my decision but honestly I want to do the whole season. I don't think the decision has been taken and it will not be taken by me.

"All I have to do really is look at it week by week, that is all I want to do. I am here, it is a major opportunity for me, that is it really. Next week is a different week. We will go testing at Jerez but honestly it is not my decision.

"I don't think it is a last chance. In Bahrain I took it like my last chance and it was not my last chance. I am here, I just want to enjoy myself, take the car to the limit, be quick, finish the race and get some points.

"I don't want to set goals or aims for this weekend, just do what I have been doing daily and that is it."

De la Rosa admitted he was very surprised by Montoya's exit.

"The first time I heard it from the team came on Monday night, the first hint that things could change," de la Rosa told a news conference at Magny-Cours. "I was surprised and on Tuesday morning I was on the way to the team as we normally do to do the simulation work and at 9.30am I got the phone call saying I would be driving here.

"I was quite surprised and excited about it. Tuesday I was in the factory and then Wednesday I was at home trying to handle the situation as calmly as I could. A lot of expectation from the Spanish media and Spanish supporters. I want to say a very honest thank you."

When asked how well he was prepared to race this weekend, de la Rosa said: "As well as you can be being at test driver. Of course I would have liked to have raced the first 10 races, but as far as a test driver is concerned I am the best prepared as I can be.

"I know the car and I was here last year so I know the track pretty fresh in my mind, I was testing last week, so I feel good, quite confident."