de la Rosa: We've had too much luck - all bad!

Pedro de la Rosa is looking forward to some home-grown fortune this weekend, even though the Circuit de Catalunya hasn't exactly been the kindest venue to him.

The under-fire Spaniard could be fighting to retain his seat at Sauber - despite this weekend's announcement that the two-race Burger King sponsorship deal hinged on his presence - after four races that have yet to yield a point for the Swiss team. After nearly seven years out of a race cockpit, de la Rosa has struggled to re-adapt to modern-day F1, although team-mate Kamui Kobayashi hasn't been able to comprehensively out-perform him.

With Sauber languishing among the three newcomer teams as those yet to open their account in an era where scoring extends through the top ten finishers in each grand prix, and unable to replicate the form it showed throughout pre-season testing, de la Rosa is counting on the first package of development parts for the C29 to deliver an upturn in fortunes.

"As everyone really, we have an aero package for Barcelona and will just have to see how it goes Friday," he noted, "We don't have any testing, so we can only guess. It is a decent step forward and very much needed. We also have a reliability upgrade from Ferrari, and [the engine] is not a concern at all from now on, I think.

"The target is first to finish the race and regain the reliability we had in pre-season testing. After that, we know, if we finish the race, we will be fighting for points, there or thereabouts, like we did in Australia. We have to do a good job, drive well, be concentrated. Having a good qualifying is so important these days with the current regulations and that is about it. Not make mistakes from my side and move forward."

Asked whether Sauber needed a change in fortune, de la Rosa was clear that a little better luck was needed, even though his home track wasn't the best place to expect it.

"We need bad luck basically," he grimaced, "We have had too much luck the first four [races].

"Barcelona hasn't been a lucky track for me. I raced in 1991, it was my first ever race here in Formula Renault and I did not finish. My only race finish here is in 1999, my first ever race in F1. Since then, for one reason or another, I have not seen the chequered flag, so I am really looking forward to a change of luck here at home in front of my friends, my family.

"Don't forget my parents live just ten minutes away, so they can listen to the engines every day, so I am really looking forward to this one and that is about it. Let's hope we revert the luck. We have been so lucky the first few races. I just want to change it a little bit."