Interview: Paul di Resta, racing driver

Published on Tuesday 9 February 2010 09:07

THERE was never really much doubt about what the young Paul di Resta would do when he grew up – certainly not in his own mind.

As a motorsports-mad youngster he missed his lessons at Balbardie Primary in Bathgate most Fridays so he could race in karting championships across Europe.

At the age of eight he competed against a young Lewis Hamilton, who has since become the youngest Formula 1 world champion in history.

Now 23-year-old Paul once again has Hamilton, who is two years his senior, in his sights.

Over the years Paul progressed from karting circuits to Knockhill racetrack, where he had his first experience behind the wheel of a proper racing car aged 16.

"I knew that racing was what I wanted to do when I was older," recalls Paul. "The enjoyment was huge and I was very excited the first time I drove a race car. Your adrenalin pushes you on.

"Being involved in cars was quite scary because they were a lot quicker than I was used to and if I crashed them, they hurt a lot harder. I was very young the first time I drove one – I wasn't even driving on the road. I was probably very immature and I thought I was ready for it at the time."

Just seven years on, Paul is re-joining the world of Lewis Hamilton – and that of current Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button – after being hired as reserve and test driver for F1 team Force India this season.

It is a coveted role and the first serious step towards a place on a grand prix starting grid.

It is also one which may allow him to step out of the shadow of his famous cousin, IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, and establish himself as a bona fide Scottish sporting hero in his own right.

His appointment follows a blistering performance during a three-day test at Jerez in Spain in December, where he impressed the Silverstone-based team.

With Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi continuing as the team's drivers this summer, Paul remains one tantalising step away from locking horns in anger with Hamilton and Button.

In the meantime, his new contract with Force India ensures that he will mix it with the world's best in the Friday practice sessions ahead of every grand prix.

"It's a step in the right direction to get into Formula One and something I have got to be thankful for," says Paul. "I was very excited when I found out and it is the highlight of my career so far. It's a fantastic opportunity."

And one which could bear fruit at any time.

Last season, the team's reserve driver Liuzzi was promoted into a race seat after fellow Italian Giancarlo Fisichella moved to Ferrari, having powered his Force India to second place in the Belgian Grand Prix.

But Paul admits his sights are already set way beyond that first place on the starting grid. He wants to follow in Hamilton and Button's footsteps and become Formula 1 world champion.

"That has been my dream from a very young age, probably even before I started racing," Paul says. "I grew up in a racing environment – my dad has been involved in racing for 35 years, racing go-karts as a hobby."

His father, Bathgate nightclub owner Louis di Resta, stopped driving to concentrate on helping with Paul's career.

"I would be away racing on a number of weekends and I had to have quite a lot of Fridays off school because that's when the racing weekend started. I was always having to catch up on schoolwork," says Paul.

Paul cut his teeth on the Larkhall outdoor kart circuit Summerlee, following in the footsteps of his famous cousin. He went on to race for Mercedes in the prestigious Formula 3 racing car series, becoming European champion in what is regarded as the world's toughest junior racing competition. One previous winner of that title was a certain Lewis Hamilton.

While he is on first name terms with the sport's household names, he insists he has no interest in the apparent showbusiness glamour side of the sport. He spends two hours a day in the gym and much of his spare time messing about with cars with younger brother Stefan.

Yet he is understandably reluctant to talk about 36-year-old Franchitti – who is married to American actress Ashley Judd – having for years been referred to as "Dario's cousin".

It is a tag that he is determined to lose, although not through any ill will to his sometime mentor. "Dario and I are not like cousins, we're more like brothers," he says. "We're a very close-knit family."

Although at 23 he is too old to be considered a prodigy in his chosen field, di Resta remains marked out as one to watch among motor racing aficionados.

After 15 years in the sport, it is perhaps inevitable that he carries the scars. Paul suffers from recurring back problems following a series of accidents, now consigned to a mental bucket marked "bad memories" and not to be talked about.

"The risks involved in racing would never put me off. There are risks in any sport. Life is about living and enjoying yourself; you have to take risks to enjoy it."

Paul is only too aware that it is his father's staunch support – financially and emotionally – that has allowed him to get to where he is today.

The pair are close and Paul still lives at the family home in Bathgate when he is not on the road, pursuing his career.

He says: "My dad has been the biggest support and has put as much effort into this career as me. He's given me the opportunity to do it, so he should also enjoy the moment and take credit for it."

With 10 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) races dovetailed with 19 Formula 1 grands prix, Paul will undoubtedly be making plenty of international phone calls home once the season gets under way next month.

"I just miss being at home and being around people I know," says Paul. "I don't care where you are or what you are doing, you always miss your home."

The Force India team will get its season under way with the opening grand prix in Bahrain on 14 March,

and you can be sure Paul will keep his mind focused on his ultimate goal.

"I have to be confident that I can achieve my dream of becoming Formula 1 world champion," he says. "Without the confidence, I wouldn't be where I am now."

THE YOUNG BEGINNER WHO SPED AHEAD

PAUL DI RESTA started his career in karting at the age of eight, racing in various competitive series until he was 15.

After stepping up into motorcar racing, he won the prestigious McLaren Autosport Young Driver of The Year Award in 2004. The prize is presented to the sport's brightest rising star and was won by his cousin Dario Franchitti in 1992.

Moving up into the Formula Three Euro Series – generally regarded as the world's toughtest junior car racing event – he became its champion in 2006, beating his new Formula One colleague, Sebastian Vettel. Paul went on to achieve second and third in the prestigious Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) championships in successive seasons, earning his chance at Formula One.