Bathgate’s Paul Di Resta bagged his best result of the season when he finished second behind his HWA Mercedes in the latest round of the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) at Mugello in Italy.
The 22-year-old, who replaced double Formula One world champ Mika Hakkinen in the team, found himself following team orders as he held station behind team-mate and race winner Jamie Green. It was the English racer’s third DTM win.
“We had a very, very fast car out there,” Di Resta, who started fifth on the grid, stated after the race. “Jamie got the jump at the start of the race and once he was in the lead I was limited as to what I could do.
“Once Jamie was ahead, my target was to hold second and bank the points in the race for the championship. My target for the weekend was to finish on the podium so to get up to second was really a bonus. Though obviously the win would have been better.
“In all honesty, the weekend didn’t go that well for me, I was lacking consistency all the time and I made a mistake in qualifying which dropped me from second to fifth when I ran wide on to the grass. But I’ll take my second place.“
The Mercedes 1-2 was the German manufacturer’s first win of the season after Audi won at Hockenheim and Oscherslaben. Third place at Mugello went to Dane Tom Kristensen in the lead Audi. Oban’s Susie Stoddart finished a distant 15th of the 18 drivers in her Mercedes.
Di Resta, who twice finished second last season at Oscherslaben and the Lausitzring, has moved into fourth in the championship after three races, just five behind the Audi of leader Timo Scheider.
JM