Di Resta confirmed as Force India driver
Britain’s Paul di Resta has been confirmed as Force India’s race driver for the 2011 season, replacing Vitantonio Luizzi.
The 24-year-old Scot will partner German Adrian Sutil, whilst German counterpart Nico Hulkenberg – who drove for Williams in 2010 – becomes reserve driver.
Di Resta joins fellow Britons McLaren team-mates and former world champions Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton on the grid for the forthcoming season, which begins in the desert of Bahrain on March 6.
The former Force India test driver and Mercedes protegee will begin a new chapter in his racing career in just under a week’s time when testing resumes in Valencia on February 1.
On the promotion, di Resta said: “Naturally I am thrilled to be making my race debut this season.
“Becoming an F1 driver has been a long-held ambition of mine, something I’ve wanted to do since I first stepped into a kart, and to finally realise it feels amazing.”
Di Resta was impressive whilst driving on Friday morning practices in 2010, and has an impressive CV with a DTM German Touring Car Championship to boast and a Formula Three Euroseries championship, which he won back in 2005 – beating then team-mate and reigning world champion, Sebastian Vettel.
Speaking in Glasgow, di Resta added: “I’ve worked really hard for this opportunity throughout my career and to get it with Force India, a young team that’s got ambitions as big as mine, is genuinely exciting.”
Meanwhile, Liuzzi – who has been replaced by di Resta – is still battling his former team to agree compensation, as he was contracted to race in 2011.
