Pitpass' Stewart Bell caught up with newly crowned Formula 3 Euroseries Champion, Paul di Resta, in Macau for this exclusive Q&A.

You've won the BP Ultimate Masters Event, and the prestigious Formula 3 Euroseries Championship with five official wins, you must be looking to clinch the trifecta and claim the Macau Grand Prix?

Paul di Resta: "Of course it is. I think that any driver that comes here - they certainly don't come here to come second, they come here to win. You know, it's going to be tough. It's my first year and there are a lot of second and third year drivers here. I just have to go for it. I'll be happy with the top five in qualifying, but anything can happen."

What would a win at Macau mean to you? Do you think it will change perceptions?

PdR: "It's not going to change much for me, but it's obviously something I want to achieve and I'm going to try hard to do that. But, I'm not having any pressure from anyone wanting me to do anything. I'm here as one of the underdogs. Hopefully we might take it, and I'm pushing hard to do so."

This is your first outing at Macau, how have you prepared for the event?

PdR: "There's not much you can actually do to come here. You can only watch some videos, have a look at some maps that the team give you. But until you actually drive the track and get a feeling for it, it's too difficult to do anything else."

Going back to the Euroseries Championship, your season's racing hasn't always seemed an easy ride with the controversial stripping of your win at the Nurburgring - how did that affect the atmosphere within the team? How did it affect your confidence?

PdR: "It didn't affect too much, you know it obviously wasn't ideal. I mean that's the problem when you have four cars in a team, you're always going to get trouble at some point. And also with the championship, I was battling with Sebastian for the title so it wasn't ideal. In the end, you don't think of it that much. At the time it was, but you end up forgetting about it and turn from the past to the future."

Was the final race at Hockenheim an emotional roller coaster?

PdR: "Yeah, certainly during qualifying, which basically sealed up the championship. Under the circumstances, there were several red starts - and I pulled the clutch out, so many were saying it was my fault. However, looking at it, it wasn't so bad. Anyway, no one remembers really who won the races, only the championship."

What did you find most challenging this year?

PdR: "I think the format; everything is just so close. One minute it's up, one minute it's down. That's the way it was going to be. I don't think we actually realised how hard it actually was. You could be up one race, and down the next. The feature races and the reverse grid - you just go as hard as you can and come out the other side and see where you are for the next race."

What positives can you take away from this season?

PdR: "The way the team has brought me out as a driver. The way we've learned, I know so much more about the car. You know, it's going to help me second to none in other formulas, give me a good start. You know, these guys have done a great job, with ASM, and the engineers I love working with them. I have to say I've done a good job myself, every driver has, but obviously I've made mistakes like every other human being. I just think about the good moments in life, and try and make sure that I don't make the mistakes again."

It has been said that you'll go into the DTM next year, has this been confirmed yet?

PdR: "Nothing has been confirmed yet. All I hope is that my management team put me somewhere that will make my future progress and I can repay them for the stuff they gave me for Formula 3. Without them, I wouldn't be here obviously."

What are your thoughts on the GP2 and DTM routes to Formula 1?

PdR: "I really don't know. Formula 1 these days is a bit hard to get into. There's no rhyme or reason to getting in. You just have to choose your route and hope that it'll be the one. You just do what you can do."

Has Dario given you any advice on your career?

PdR: "Of course, I speak to Dario every day. You know, he's been one of the biggest helps in my career. Other than my father, he believed in me all the way through my racing career. You know, it's part of the whole thing - I owe it to them."

As the 2004 recipient of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award, you were the youngest ever winner - with that being a significant tick, especially from a Mercedes-Benz point of view, are you holding out for a McLaren testing berth?