Di Resta Tester

Paul di Resta takes part in a DTM event in May this year, driving an AMG Mercedes C-Class round Hockenheim. The driver has been signed up to test for Force India at Jerez at the beginning of December, alongside American JR Hildebrand.

Credit: Daimler AG

13-Nov-09: Czech Republic Wants Grand Prix Event

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Today is the 13th November 2009 and this is F1 Minute.

Autosport is reporting today that officials in the Czech Republic have their eye on hosting a Grand Prix at some point in the future, but they’re hoping to get a DTM race first. The track  doesn’t exist yet but has been drafted by Hermann Tilke – him again. It would be situated a few miles out of Prague and would be part permanent and part street circuit. There’s also talk of the track going through a stadium, but I care little for those gimmicks.

Meanwhile, Nick Heidfeld has hit back at criticism about his performance last year and thinks he could be in with a drive in 2010. The German said: “When you’re battling for victories and podiums, people look only at the statistics – in the media at least. Fortunately, the people who run the teams can see beyond that. So all in all, I’m quite optimistic about the future.”

Finally, Maurice Hamilton of the Guardian  reported that Jenson Button visited the McLaren factory in Woking today. People will talk!

That’s all for now, have a great weekend and I’ll be back on Monday with another F1 Minute.

02-Jan-09: Di Resta Wants a Seat at Force India

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Welcome to F1 Minute for the 2nd January 2009.

News is still a bit thin on the ground, so I have two pretty tenuous stories for you today.

Firstly, DTM driver Paul di Resta, who was hoping for a race seat at Force India this year, still believes he could get into Formula 1 now that McLaren are involved. He said: “There’s still a bit of talking to be done before I’ll be able to confirm exactly what I’m going to be doing. One important thing is that F1 remains a possibility.” He adds he’s not giving up on the dream of turning up to Melbourne as an F1 driver.

Elsewhere, Michael Schumacher has been reported as saying that if Lewis had lost the 2008 title in the last race, just like he did in 2007, it would have done some serious damage to his reputation. He’s quoted: “If it happens to you once it is an anecdote but when it happens to you twice it is starting to become a habit. If we saw the championship title slip through his fingers again in the final round it could have been an ill omen for the rest of his career.”

That’s it for today, please join me again on Monday for a new week of F1 Minute.

25-Oct-08: Wurz Believes Honda Have KERS Edge

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Today is the 25th October 2008, and this is F1 Minute.

Alex Wurz, test driver for Honda, believes that his team have made great strides in their KERS development for next season, so much so that they should be way ahead of the competition. However, the Austrian is still realistic about what Honda will be able to achieve next year: “It’s not going to take you from the back of the grid to the front. By the same token, not having it on-board isn’t going to demote you from the front row to the back either. The influence of KERS on the whole package is not enough to create that significant a difference, but we’ll rest easier in our beds than many of our opponents.”

Meanwhile DTM driver Paul di Resta feels that he is ready to break into F1 and it doesn’t matter which team helps him make the step up. He is currently linked with McLaren, through the Mercedes Young Driver Program but said he wouldn’t mind being at the back of the grid. This hints at a Force India seat, as they have the rumoured technology deal with McLaren for next year. However, Force India have already announced their drivers, so this could be pure speculation.

That’s it for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.