10/11/2008
NEWS STORY
It is believed that former F3 Euroseries winner, and 2008 DTM runner-up, Paul di Resta could be heading to F1 next season, following Force India's split with Ferrari.
It's understood that should Mercedes agree a deal with Silverstone-based outfit to supply its powertrain for 2009 and beyond, di Resta, cousin of 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti, would join the Indian team.
Mercedes Motorsport boss Norbert Haug makes no secret of his admiration of di Resta, telling the Daily Telegraph: "Paul has done a brilliant job in the DTM. He has finished on the podium in 10 of his 20 races, despite sometimes driving a two-year-old car. It's a remarkable record for a young guy with no previous touring car experience. I think he's exceptional."
With the team announcing a significant restructuring last week, a move which saw the double departure of Colin Kolles and Mike Gascoyne, the Silverstone-based outfit appears determined to put the misery of 2008 behind it as it seeks to move further up the grid in 2009.
While those involved remain tight-lipped on the Mercedes deal, it is thought that McLaren will also be involved, with a source telling the British newspaper that Force India's 2009 car will contain "McLaren DNA".
Ron Dennis is another di Resta fan, saying: "Paul did a great job when we evaluated him on our simulator. We agreed to look at the possibility of integrating him within our F1 programme, but not necessarily with McLaren."