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McLaren expected strong run
McLaren driver Pedro de la Rosa believed he was on a war-front.
McLaren driver Pedro de la Rosa believes he will be fighting at the front when he makes his racing return in the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.
Regular Friday test driver de la Rosa, who last raced for Jaguar in 2002, was drafted in earlier this week after race driver Juan Pablo Montoya injured his shoulder in a sporting accident last Saturday.
He finished in fourth place in practice as test driver Alex Wurz, who stepped in to fill de la Rosa's role in the third car, set the fastest time of the day and the Spaniard is confident of success here Sunday.
"The times (on Friday) are not always a true reflection of the situation but I feel we can be competitive as we clearly have the pace," said de la Rosa. "I am looking forward to see how the rest of the weekend evolves."
De la Rosa made his Grand Prix debut with Arrows in 1999, scored his best ever finish of fifth place for Jaguar in the 2001 Italian Grand Prix and has claimed a total of six points in four years of racing.
He joined McLaren as a test driver in 2003 and has been given the dream chance to step into Montoya's shoes, ahead of the team's long-term tester Wurz, because he had a lot of experience with the new car.
Wurz was overlooked for the role because he could not fit his tall frame into the team's latest machine, which had to be modified for him this weekend, and he had not driven the car before hitting the track here Friday.
That fact made his session-topping time all the more impressive and Wurz said: "I am happy that it all worked out. I am very happy that I have done the job that was asked of me.
"I did all I had to do and delivered the fastest lap today, so that is very satisfying. It was my first time driving the MP4-20 and although it was not the usual testing circumstances it was still a great experience."
Finn Kimi Raikkonen, who was expecting to challenge for the title this year, is hoping to see his season get going here Sunday after scoring just one point in the opening two races.
The team's pace in practice suggests they could be in with a chance of victory and Raikkonen, who finished eighth, said: "I am happy with the car, it is not quite perfect yet but it should be improved by tomorrow."
