Pedro de la Rosa is confident Pirelli's new 2011 tyres will make racing more interesting and has predicted two or three pit stops per race.
Last year the Bridgestone tyres were particularly hardwearing, meaning most drivers at most circuits made just one pit stop. At races where tyre degradation was higher, the action was often more interesting as drivers had to balance pace against tyre wear.
From an early stage in the development of the 2011 tyres, Pirelli hinted that it would factor in more degradation in order to make racing more exciting. Several teams reported a severe drop off in rear tyre grip at the Abu Dhabi test at the end of the season and since then Pirelli has continued to refine the characteristics of the tyre.
De la Rosa, who has been the Italian firm's main tester since he lost his drive at Sauber last year, reckons the tyres are now capable of producing better racing than in previous years.
"The races will be more interesting, because they have designed a tyre for the show - especially the super soft which is very fast but also has a very big degradation," he told Barcelona radio Rac1.
He added that he thinks the outcomes of the races will be "more open" with each driver making "2 or 3 stops per grand prix".
But he played down speculation that the new tyres, combined with adjustable rear wings and the return of KERS, will mean that qualifying is far less important than before.
"Qualifying will always be 70% of the outcome of the race," said de la Rosa. "Of course, it is true that the difference between the first and the second choice of compounds is very large. So those who start further back than eleventh will have a chance to fight for points because the harder tyre will last much longer than the soft. But that's only speculation."
De la Rosa has just completed a two-night test in Abu Dhabi, working on Pirelli's wet tyres. But with Pirelli's solo testing reaching a respite (the teams will start testing again on February 1), he said he was back in the market for an F1 drive.
"The truth is I don't know what will happen next," he said. "In January the contract with Pirelli ends and my priority is to find a seat in Formula One."
He agreed that the current situation for aspiring F1 racers is "very difficult".
"If I don't race I would be happy to continue in F1 as a reserve driver," announced de la Rosa.
He spent several years as McLaren's main test driver, but insists he is currently "not close to any teams, even McLaren."
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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