Di Resta: "Vettel won because he had the best car"
Paul di Resta believes that the performance of the RB7 played a major role in securing a second title for Sebastian Vettel this season.
Sebastian Vettel dominated the 2011 Formula 1 season – securing 15 pole positions and 11 victories in 19 Grand Prix; but Paul di Resta believes that the German driver’s performance is largely due to his car, which was the best on the grid according to the Scotsman.
«I don’t want to downplay Vettel’s success, but he won the championship because he had the best car. He did his job, but another driver in the same car could have achieved the same results. I hope that one day I will have the same opportunity,» confided Paul di Resta to the Italian magazine Gazzetta dello Sport.
It is a safe bet that Mark Webber will appreciate Paul di Resta’s statements because he had the same car as Vettel but wasn’t able to perform as well as the German driver.
Paul di Resta also recalled that in 2006 in the Formula 3 Euroseries, when he was racing alongside Sebastian Vettel at ASM Formula 3 (now ART Grand Prix), he had beaten the German to clinch the title.
« We had the same single-seater, the same engine, the same tires, and I beat him (in 2006), » added di Resta.
It might also be a way for the Scotsman to appeal to some higher-profile team leaders than Force India, even though he should soon be confirmed as a starter for the Indian team in 2012. The Scottish driver might hope to join a top team in the coming years, Mercedes AMG in particular, as he has been supported by Mercedes for several years already.
