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Sauber needs sponsors to improve - de la Rosa

Pedro de la Rosa is concerned about Sauber's lack of development © Sutton Images

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• Drivers:
• Pedro de la Rosa
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• Peter Sauber

• Teams:
• Alfa Romeo

Pedro de la Rosa has admitted Sauber needs more sponsors to be able to develop its car this year.

Four races into the 2010 season and still with a mainly blank white livery, Sauber has failed to live up to its pre-season testing promise and has only finished a race on one occasion. Team boss Peter Sauber insists the team has a guaranteed budget to survive the 2010 season but de la Rosa said it needs to find a fresh income if it is going to improve.

"This is a very important point," he told Swiss newspaper Blick. "With each day it is more difficult to find backers for 2010, but without finances a normal development of the car is hardly possible."

Asked about the car's main problems, he answered: "There have been too many engine problems, and at the rear of the car something is not right - it is too unstable. We simply must believe in our abilities and those of our new technical boss James Key. And also that luck might be with us sometimes as well."

De la Rosa returned to a full time racing role in 2010 after several years as McLaren's test driver, and it is already rumoured that Sauber is considering replacing him with a pay-driver on the basis of his initial form. He admits it has been a trying campaign so far.

"I knew that with Sauber, difficult work was awaiting me," he said. "But after the tests in February I didn't think it would be quite so hard."

Asked to name his biggest surprise of 2010, de la Rosa said: "For most people in the paddock it is Renault. The performance of the team, and particularly Kubica, has been sensational. In testing we were usually quicker than them."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.