Bathgate’s Paul Di Resta was left frustrated after driving rain and gale-force winds washed out the first of his two-day test in the McLaren-Mercedes Formula One car at Silverstone.
The 22-year-old Scot, tipped to graduate to the role of test driver for the Woking-based team headed by F1 championship leader Lewis Hamilton, could only sit in the garage as the rain flooded the Northamptonshire track.
“Obviously it’s not ideal, but we can’t control the weather,” Di Resta, part of the Mercedes Young Driver Development Programme which guided seven-time world champ Michael Schumacher in to F1, said today.
“It’s been a washout, which is really frustrating, but at least the forecast is dry for Wednesday so I should get some running tomorrow.”
Di Resta, who currently leads Mercedes’ charge in the German Touring Car Championship and heads to the finale at Hockenheim in just over a fortnight two points behind the Audi of leader Timo Scheider, has already driven the 2008 McLaren earlier this year.
His drive at Silverstone this week comes just days after he impressed in a GP2 car at the Paul Ricard circuit. The two-day test in France was the first time Di Resta had driven a single-seater since winning the European Formula 3 Championship in 2006.
The Scot though was swift to try and play down expectations and rumours surrounding his future.
“My commitment is fully to ensuring I win the German Touring Car Championship for Mercedes-Benz this season,” he stated. “This test is a continuation of the excellent relationship I have with both Mercedes and McLaren.”
Di Resta is scheduled to test the McLaren again on October 20/21.
JM