Di Resta: “For me, Alonso is the 2012 champion”
The Force India driver believes that the Spaniard deserved the title in 2012 and also deserves to be champion this season. The Scotsman also considers that Sebastian Vettel, among others, has been luckier than him and thinks that he should not have reached F1 before him, given that he beat him in the F3 Euroseries.
In 2012, even though he missed out on the world championship title by a handful of points, Fernando Alonso was named the best driver of the season by team principals. This view was shared by many paddock observers, including some drivers: “He should have been champion last year,” says Paul di Resta in an interview with Speed Week. “For me, Alonso is the 2012 champion.”
Winner in Shanghai and Barcelona, the Ferrari driver has more points today than at the same stage of the season last year. Importantly, the Spaniard is coming off a season start marked by two incidents that cost him valuable points, leaving him up to 30 points behind the championship leader, Sebastian Vettel. Despite this, Paul di Resta makes the Spaniard his favorite for the 2013 championship title: « He had his problems in Malaysia and Bahrain, but Ferrari seems very strong. I think he deserves the championship. »
The Scotsman does not underestimate Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel for that matter. The current Sahara Force India team member, who recalls having beaten the three-time German world champion during their F3 Euroseries confrontation, nevertheless remembers that both men started in better conditions than many drivers, starting with himself: “Thinking back, they were luckier than me.” And he added: “Sebastian shouldn’t have gotten there before me.”
