Di Resta, a rookie having fun
At 25, he is competing in his first F1 season and is thoroughly enjoying it.
Surprising Di Resta. Coming from a family steeped in motorsport – his father, Louis Di Resta, was Scottish Formula Ford champion and his cousin, Dario Franchitti, has already won three IndyCar championships and two editions of the Indianapolis 500 – the Force India driver can also boast of having an atypical career.
Starting first in karting, he quickly turned to single-seaters. After training in Formula Renault, he joined the highly renowned F3 Euro Series championship in 2005. As early as 2006, he was competing for the title against a certain Sebastian Vettel and ultimately won by 9 points. However, shunned by sponsors, he was unable to move up to a higher category and get closer to Formula 1.
Not wanting to vegetate in F3, he then chose an astonishing path: touring cars. Integrated into the prestigious DTM championship in 2007, he managed to fight for victory despite having a car that was a year older. Behind the wheel of an official Mercedes, it took him three seasons to win and ultimately achieve his dream.
Supplier of engines for the Force India team, Mercedes manages to place its driver in the seat of a Formula 1 car of Vijay Mallya’s team. A partnership that is promising to say the least.
Twice in the points in three races, but especially ahead of his formidable teammate, Adrian Sutil, consistently in qualifying and races, the Scotsman displays a radiant smile as he reflects on his first three GPs in the premier category: « It was new for me. Three races in four weeks. It’s exhausting but everything went well […] We are going to bring new improvements to the car, we believe in it. Our start to the season is good and we want to finish each race in the points ».
As for his Chinese race, where he narrowly missed out on points: « It was a great start! At the beginning, I was right behind Alonso, then I found myself behind Schumacher. During the race, I battled with Heidfeld, Kobayashi, and Petrov. I made contact with Nick, hit with the front wing, and then got a flat tire… ».
His discovery of the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) as well as the spectacle during the race are two other satisfactions for the child from Uphall: « The KERS is really easy to manage. The races are very fun, and I look forward to continuing the season. I hope to do even better! »
While waiting for the next Grand Prix in Turkey, on a track he will discover, Paul Di Resta will rest, celebrate Easter with family, and enjoy time with friends.
