Pedro de la Rosa has refused to comment on mounting speculation that he is being consꦉidered for a return to Formula 1 with Force India in 2009 - even if he has admitted that 'what [he] really wants to do is to race'.

The Spaniard competed in 72 grands prix for Arrowsꦆ, Jaguar and McLaren-Mercedes from 1999 to 2006, with a best finish for the latter in the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix at Budapest, when he took the chequered flag as runner-up to race-winner Jenson Button.

Since then de la Rosa has not raced, but has remained in the F1 paddock as the principal test driver for the Woking-based outfit. Should the rumour mill prove 💧to be correct, he could be set to return to the startin꧃g grid next season.

Force India's recent tie-up with McLaren [see separate story - 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:click here] has led to suggestions that current DTM Vice-Champion and long-time Mercedes-Benz prot?g? Paul di Resta may be in-line to replace Adrian Sutil and make his F1 debut at the small Silverstone-based squad in 2009, but Spanish newspapers are claiming it is de la Rosa who is more likely to get the gig, possibly - according to Diario AS - dovetailing his racing duties with a continued testing role for the Silver A🥂rrows.

Force India chairman and 🅠managing director Dr Vijay Mal♏lya has revealed that he would be 'hard-pressed to ignore' the advice of McLaren in terms of drivers, and has refused to confirm whether either Sutil or 2008 team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella will be retained.

Whilst confessing his desire to ret💦urn to action, de la Rosa insisted that for now his priority is to assist with the dꦉevelopment of the new McLaren-Mercedes MP4-24.

"Of course, like all drivers, what I really want to do is to race," the 37-year-old told Spanish publication Sport, "[but] at the moment there is nothing to say."