De La Rosa to be announced as a 2010 Force India Race Driver

**Giuseppe F1** · 19th Nov 09, 13:08

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...19090502.shtml

De la Rosa tipped for Force India seat
19/11/09 09:05

Pedro de la Rosa is tipped to return to Formula One action next year with Force India. The Silverstone based team, powered by Mercedes engines and supported by McLaren, has not yet confirmed either Adrian Sutil or Tonio Liuzzi.

McLaren test and reserve driver de la Rosa tested a Force India last winter, and was thought to have been first in the queue for a Campos seat for next year.

That option is now believed closed due to a lack of interest by Spanish sponsors, but Spanish radio sources Onda Cero and Radio Marca have reported that Force India is a possibility. In fact, the sources said an announcement could be imminent.
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Paul di Resta meanwhile will make his Formula One debut at the young driver test at Jerez, Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell reports.

The Scot, who races with Mercedes in the DTM series, will reportedly drive the Mercedes-powered Force India car during the early December session. He reportedly had a seat fitting at the team's Silverstone headquarters early this week.

E.A. © CAPSIS International
Source: GMM

**keysersoze** · 19th Nov 09, 16:02

I actually like PdlR but this is about seven years too late. I'd only advocate or an older driver if he was a proven winner, like Jarno, Giancarlo, or Rubens, but not for a driver with like three recent starts.

**UltimateDanGTR** · 19th Nov 09, 16:27

If someone was to pick up de la rosa, id recommend it to be one of the new teams. he is alot older i know, but his experience could help get a team setting up and knowing what they are doing in their first year. but force india seems a strange option IMO.

good to see Paul di resta getting a try, would be good to see how good he is.

**truefan72** · 19th Nov 09, 17:00

sorry, but I think pedro DLR best days are waaaay behind him and to be honest there are plenty of drivers out there more qualified for that seat.

**maximilian** · 19th Nov 09, 17:40

I also don't see any point in this... there are plenty of other, younger, quicker drivers out there FI should and could give a shot. DLR would have made sense at Campos or Epsilon (if they had made it), but Force India can do much better...

**tec4** · 19th Nov 09, 17:55

Originally Posted by henners88

What about Michael Schumacher?

Schumacher is now consultant to Ferrari sportcar division, spending less time at F1 tracks.

**Roamy** · 19th Nov 09, 18:18

I would assume they want to continue development of the car and DLR would be well suited as a driver developer.

**woody2goody** · 19th Nov 09, 18:35

Just seeing the name Paul diResta there makes me think they HAVE to be signing him. He is too talented to pass on in my opinion.

As for de la Rosa, I have no worries that he will be able to do well at Force India. He has shown in the past that he can be VERY quick. It's a good move for both teams, although I feel sorry for Liuzzi if it is Pedro and di Resta.

**keysersoze** · 19th Nov 09, 18:35

Originally Posted by fousto

I would assume they want to continue development of the car and DLR would be well suited as a driver developer.

I think they need a ballsy racer, as close to a Vettel-Hamilton-Alonso driver as they can afford, AND a competent car developer. They did well to have the Fish but he wasn't able to wring the utmost from the car (or himself) in race trim. Of the remaining drivers, Heidfeld seems the most suitable. The pipe dream option of Kimi (+ Sutil) in the team would instantly make them a top-5 constructor threat IMO . . .

. . . with the added benefit of allowing Adrian to FINNISH races because KR wouldn't be there to run him off the road.

**Roamy** · 19th Nov 09, 18:41

I don't think nick is much if any better that dlr. but i would agree on getting a ballsy young driver but who are the choices. I haven't heard of anyone in the wings that would be another GV, AS or such.

**woody2goody** · 19th Nov 09, 18:45

Originally Posted by keysersoze

I think they need a ballsy racer, as close to a Vettel-Hamilton-Alonso driver as they can afford, AND a competent car developer. They did well to have the Fish but he wasn't able to wring the utmost from the car (or himself) in race trim. Of the remaining drivers, Heidfeld seems the most suitable. The pipe dream option of Kimi (+ Sutil) in the team would instantly make them a top-5 constructor threat IMO . . .

. . . with the added benefit of allowing Adrian to FINNISH races because KR wouldn't be there to run him off the road.

I think Fisi did a heck of a lot better job than Sutil last year.

Anyway, Heidfeld is most likely off to Brawn, so de la Rosa would be a good alternative.

I'd actually like Di Resta and Sutil for a couple of years, so we can truly see how good Adrian is.

**Sonic** · 19th Nov 09, 19:24

I doubt Pedro would be quite as bad as Badoer but a race return has been proven unwise by Wurz, Panis, Badoer etc.

At a new team with zero expectations maybe it would make sense - but FI want top ten quali every race next season and PDLR won't help achieve that IMHO.

**ioan** · 19th Nov 09, 19:30

Go home Pedro you've got nothing left to prove, you're a great test driver like Badoer.

**woody2goody** · 19th Nov 09, 20:11

Well, Pedro got on the podium in 2006, and set a fastest lap in 2005, so I think he's easily good enough for F1 2010.

**ShiftingGears** · 20th Nov 09, 00:33

Originally Posted by woody2goody

Well, Pedro got on the podium in 2006, and set a fastest lap in 2005, so I think he's easily good enough for F1 2010.

Wait - so a podium over 3 years ago makes a driver worthy of an F1 seat?

Does this mean that Coulthard is worthy of a seat next year, even though he was terrible last year, but managed to gain a podium in 2006?

**Saint Devote** · 20th Nov 09, 01:15

Originally Posted by woody2goody

Just seeing the name Paul diResta there makes me think they HAVE to be signing him. He is too talented to pass on in my opinion.

As for de la Rosa, I have no worries that he will be able to do well at Force India. He has shown in the past that he can be VERY quick. It's a good move for both teams, although I feel sorry for Liuzzi if it is Pedro and di Resta.

di Resta ought to be in the team basd on what? Gary Paffett is also I think going to be tested and in the same 2009 Mercedes he turned the season around for the team and finished quite a few points ahead of di Resta in the DTM [second] and won the last race at Hockenheim.

**woody2goody** · 20th Nov 09, 01:31

Originally Posted by theugsquirrel

Wait - so a podium over 3 years ago makes a driver worthy of an F1 seat?

Does this mean that Coulthard is worthy of a seat next year, even though he was terrible last year, but managed to gain a podium in 2006?

Not exactly, but he did those after a couple or three years out of F1, and he has been testing a lot since his last foray.

I didn't mean it literally, but I still think he is good enough.

PS. Coulthard got a podium last year as well.

**woody2goody** · 20th Nov 09, 01:34

Originally Posted by Saint Devote

di Resta ought to be in the team basd on what? Gary Paffett is also I think going to be tested and in the same 2009 Mercedes he turned the season around for the team and finished quite a few points ahead of di Resta in the DTM [second] and won the last race at Hockenheim.

Because di Resta is a legitimate talent and the future of British motorsport.

With all due respect to Gary, because he is a great driver, but he has been in DTM a heck of a lot longer than Di Resta. So he should be beating Paul in the same car.

I think they will do very similarly in F1 testing (Paffett has done well in a Grand Prix car in the past), but they will go with di Resta because of his age and undoubted potential.