Feature: de la Rosa Completes a Tough Year

Pedro de la Rosa never expected an easy life at Jaguar. Which is just as well, considering the problems that Spain's leading Formula One driver has had to contend with since he made his debut for the Ford-owned team before his home fans in Barcelona last year.

On Sunday, de la Rosa returns for the fifth race of the season hoping that his second outing with Jaguar at the Circuit de Catalunya goes better than the first.

He feels that he is driving as well as ever but, unfortunately for him and the fans, has an aerodynamically flawed car that even Michael Schumacher would struggle to make much of an impression in.

After starting at the back of the grid for his 50th career Grand Prix at Imola in Italy the weekend before last, the most experienced driver Spain has produced has only reliability to console himself with.

It was bad enough in Barcelona last year, when de la Rosa marked his first appearance with the team by spearing into a concrete wall in Saturday morning free practice and then qualifying 20th in the spare car for the race. He then retired on the seventh lap of the race, after colliding with the Jordan of Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

De la Rosa might have thought he had hit rock bottom straight away - Spain was his worst qualifying performance for Jaguar in 2001 - but 2002 has proven him wrong.

He started 20th in Australia, 21st at Imola and - after being outqualified twice by Australian Mark Webber in the Minardi - his only bright spot has been three top 10 finishes in four races, albeit at some distance to the points scorers.

Too Slow

"There's not much point in talking too much," de la Rosa said calmly at Imola. "We have a problem, we have to fix it and I believe the team can do it.

"We are slow, too slow. That's a fact. The question now is how quickly the wind tunnel can produce parts, because we need them.

"We have to tell ourselves that in the next races this is not going to change a lot. We have to be realistic.

"The car has been the same for the past two races and until the wind tunnel starts producing new parts which are better, we will stay in the same position.

"It will be a little bit better if it's hotter in Spain but don't expect something radical. I'm driving well... but until I have a better car it is very difficult to judge."

Last year's Jaguar R2 was decried for being too slow and Jaguar, who failed to score any points in the first six races of 2001, presented the new R3 in January as the first 'real' Formula One car produced by the team.

Sadly, the 'Big Cat' limped along from the outset and subsequent attempts to rectify the problems have so far failed to provide the expected breakthrough.

Driver Eddie Irvine admitted at Imola that the team were effectively casting around in the dark for a solution, although new aerodynamicists and the opening of a new wind tunnel this month should speed up the process.

"My opinion is that the R2 and the R3 are the same," said de la Rosa. "They are very similar cars in terms of lap time. Maybe a little bit different through the corner but both are too slow."

The lack of aerodynamic downforce means that the team cannot get the most out of the Michelin tyres at certain circuits - such as Barcelona - and in cold weather.

Added Pressure

Jaguar have also suffered a heavy staff turnover, with de la Rosa first joining the team as a test driver when American Bobby Rahal was in charge and Steve Nichols was technical director. Both are now gone.

But the Spaniard, who started his Formula One career with a point on his debut for Arrows when they were sponsored by Spanish oil company Repsol, is still looking forward to Sunday.

"A home race brings an added pressure to what you would normally experience at other races," he said in the team's regular race preview. "You become very aware of the expectation around you and while Formula One isn't as popular in Spain as motorcycling or world rally, the grand prix does generate a lot of interest.

"This year my knowledge has increased on all fronts. I know the team better, I understand the car much better and after countless hours of pounding around this track in testing I know the place like the back of my hand."

De la Rosa has scored only six points since he entered Formula One in 1999, three of them with Jaguar, and has yet to finish in the top 10 in his home race. Sunday is unlikely to be very different.