Bathgate’s Paul Di Resta will take another significant step to joining world champions, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, on the 2010 Formula One grid when he undertakes a three-day test with Force India in Spain next week.
The 23-year-old Scot, a member of the Mercedes-Benz Young Driver Development Programme and who has raced for the German manufacturer in DTM for the past three season, can’t wait to grab the opportunity with both hands.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for me,” Di Resta, who impressed during four days of testing with McLaren towards the end of last season as he helped develop the car which took Hamilton to the world title, admitted today. Both McLaren and Force India F1 cars are powered by Mercedes engines,
“This is a very realistic opportunity to establish a solid, longterm working relationship with Force India which I hope will develop over the coming years. It’s another important step towards me fulfilling my dream of racing in Formula One.”
Di Resta beat current Red Bull grand prix winner Sebastian Vettel to the 2006 European Formula 3 Championship and has finished second and third in DTM in the past two years.
The Scot, who is highly rated by Mercedes — which also recently bought this year’s Constructors’ World Champions, Brawn GP — had been expected to switch to the Force India team for this season as part of the current engine deal. Di Resta was left surprised when Force India owner Vijay Mallya then announced he was retaining Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil for 2009. The team has yet to confirm its driver line-up for 2010.
“This is another exciting opportunity for me to show and prove just what I’m capable of,” Di Resta continued. “Obviously I need to deliver a fast lap time, but what’s equally important is doing a professional job, bonding with the team and engineers, and being able to feedback the right information after each drive.
“I’ve done it before with McLaren, and I received very favourable reports back from the team. It’s been a while since I last tested an F1 car, but I’m confident I’ll be up to speed quickly.In preparation for the test at Jerez, which gets underway next Tuesday (Dec 1), Di Resta has been ‘driving’ the 2009 Force India car on the team’s simulator.
“It’s about as far removed from the McLaren I drove last year as technically possible,” he explained. “With the new technical changes — including slick tyres and far less downforce — introduced for 2009, I’ve had to play catch-up. But I’ll be ready.”
And Di Resta admits he’s excited by the mouthwatering prospect of going head-to-head against his close friend hamilton, and Button.
“That would be brilliant,” he continued. “I’ve raced against Lewis on numerous occasions in junior formulae, including the EuroF3 in 2005, so it would be fantastic to race against him and Jenson in Formula One.
“That’s always been my goal and I’m determined the test next week will be the springboard to making my dream come true.”
JM