De la Rosa: Much Better than Expected

Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa admitted his surprise at being able to qualify in 16th position for Sunday's European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring.

De la Rosa, driving the struggling Jaguar R3, overcame mechanical problems in his car to outqualify teammate Eddie Irvine, and is aiming to finish tomorrow's race and perhaps score the first points of a so far disappointing 2002 season.

"That was much better than I expected," admitted de la Rosa. "I had done only five timed laps because of the problems we suffered on my race car. The team did an excellent job of correcting it in time and their hard work paid off. My race car felt better balanced and it allowed me to move up the timesheets.

"Tomorrow's race will throw up the usual uncertainties and our aim will be to keep out of trouble and bring the cars home. After a race distance here, you never know what rewards might come your way from finishing."

Irvine, who has scored the only three points for the Milton Keynes squad this year, finished right behind his teammate in 17th position.

After the disappointment of seeing his country exit the soccer World Cup after losing to the South Korean team 5-3 on penalties in the World Cup quarter-finals, de la Rosa complained of a further rebuff in qualifying.

"Given that South Korea had knocked my home country Spain out of the World Cup a few moments before qualifying, I couldn't believe it when a Renault sponsored by a Korean company blocked my charge at the end," he said. "If you're Spanish, there's no getting away from the Koreans today."

With Senegal, South Korea and Turkey unrepresented in Formula One, de la Rosa was one of the few people in the paddock with an active interest in the day's matches in Japan and South Korea.

Another was Renault's Spanish test driver Fernando Alonso, who took issue with the 'strange' refereeing but hoped that maybe the spotlight would shift from soccer to other sports in which the Spaniards were involved.