Sutil argues: I`d be fast in a McLaren.

Adrian Sutil has staked his claim to a prolonged stay in Formula 1 by insistin💛g that he'd 'be fast in a McLaren'.

There is considerable speculation swirling around the paddock at present regarding the safety of the German's seat at Force India in 2009, following the team's recent tie-up with McLaren-Mercedeღs for engine supply, KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) technology and other technical support from next season.

Adrian Sutil has staked his claim to a prolonged stay in Formul༒a 1 by insisting that he'd 'be fast in a McLaren'.

There is considerable speculation swirling around the paddock at present regarding the safety of the German's seat at Force India in 2009, following the team's recent tie-up with McLaren-Mercedes for engine supply, KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) technology and o🎃ther technical support from next season.

Moreover, McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa took to the track for the Silverstone-based squad dur🧸ing the first major group test of the winter in Barcelona this week, and long-time Mercedes-Benz prot?g? and DTM Vice-Champion Paul di Resta has made no secret of his desire to be on the grid next year. Sutil, though, insisted he was unperturbed by de la Rosa's appearance in the cockpit at the Circuit de Catalunya.

"I've got everything wrapped up," he told German website Motorsports-Magazine.com. "The very first day he (de la Rosa) was here, he was able t꧑o tell us where the shortcomings were.

"We drove the same programme and I was faster than Pedro by 1.2 seconds. I'm used to the car and I quite like it when it gets twitchy. If I were driving a McLaren it might be a different ﷽story, but even🍬 so, I would still be fast."

In a separate interview with Sport Bild newspaper, Sutil added that 'there is no reason' to talk to any other teams 'at the moment', insisting: "The team has told me quite clearly that they are counting on me. Anyway, I have a val🌄id contract for 20🃏09."

That echoes the conviction of the 25-year-old's manager Manfred Zimmerman, who contends that Force India F1 managing director and chairman Dr Vijay Mallya has consistently repeated that his driver is '100 per cent' safe for next year [see separate story - 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:click here], even if the Indian has also acknowledged that he would be 'hard-pressed to ignore' advice from McLaren in terms of drivers in light of the new partnership [see separate story - 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:click here].

In contrast to FIF1's erstwhile relationship wi❀th Ferrari, there will be far more McLaren input into the 2009 VJM-03, and Sutil is clearly relishing gettin🍸g behind the wheel of the car for the first time in late February.

"We've now got a ✱working relationship with a factory," he enthused. "We're not just ꧒importing engines."

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