Di Resta to make 2011 Force India debut – report

Paul di Resta looks set to make his formula one race debut in 2011.

A report in the British newspaper The Sun said the 24-year-old Scot “will almost certainly” graduate from his reserve and Friday driving seat to a full racing position next year.

Team owner and boss Vijay Mallya is quoted as saying di Resta, who currently races in the German touring car series DTM, has the “right attitude to make it in F1”.

He is in Singapore for this weekend’s night race, but he will not be driving in Friday morning practice as he sometimes does.

“I’m going to try and help the team as much as I can,” promised di Resta.

Whether it will be team regulars Adrian Sutil or Vitantonio Liuzzi who will move on to make room for di Resta is not currently known.

But it is believed Liuzzi is under contract for 2011, while Sutil has been linked with a move to Mercedes or Renault.

Also linked to Renault for next year is 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, but Vitaly Petrov on Thursday insisted he is not worried about losing his seat.

“I know what I am doing,” said the Russian rookie.  “Why must I worry?  They must worry.  I think I will continue to do my job and I think everything looks good.”

© RIF | GMM