Force India signs di Resta as third driver

The Force India team has confirmed Paul di Resta as their new test driver for the 2010 season. At 23 years old, di Resta, who tested for the team in December 2009, joins official race drivers Tonio Liuzzi and Adrian Sutil within the Silverstone-based team. The Scot is expected to drive the car in some of the Friday practice sessions during the Grand Prix.

« I would like to thank Paul di Resta and JR Hildebrand for their commitment during the Jerez tests, » said the team director, Vijay Mallya. « Both worked very hard and were impressive during these tests. We are very proud to have someone of Paul’s caliber in our team. His potential was evident during the tests and he has a good attitude towards F1. »

« The program we have implemented will allow him to familiarize himself with the car, the team, the environment, and the various pressures associated with F1. We are delighted with this very fruitful partnership.

Di Resta, who participated in the DTM championship in recent years, was delighted to reach this agreement: « I am thrilled to finally have the chance to go to F1. I am happy to start my F1 career with Force India, a team with a lot of potential. I see this opportunity as a step closer to realizing my dream of racing in F1. I know I have a lot to learn about the car and the various racing tracks. »

« I think this program is the perfect way to prepare for a more official race seat. I hope this will be the beginning of a long-term future with Force India. With the support of the entire team, including Whyte & Mackay, I’m sure we can achieve great things, » concluded the driver.