SCOT PAUL DI RESTA will lock horns with world champs Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel when he makes his Formula One race debut in Australia this Sunday; and the boy from Bathgate isn't daunted by the prospect.
"Why should I be daunted," the 24-year-old, who will follow in the footsteps of Scots world champs Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart, as well as grand prix winner David Coulthard when he lines up on the grid for his first F1 race, stated today.
"Obviously I want to win the world championship. As a racing driver you want to win every race you start, and every championship you enter; and I'm no different. But it will take time; it won't happen immediately" — Paul
"They may have more F1 experience than me, but I've proved I have the ability, skill and pace to be on the same track and go racing wheel-to-wheel with them. I know I can mix it with the best in Formula One."
And mixing it is exactly what Di Resta aims to do in his Mercedes-powered Force India car. The Scot, acknowledged as probably the most naturally gifted young driver in the world not to have raced in F1 until now, has already locked horns with the likes of Hamilton and Vettel.
"I also managed to beat Vettel"
"We all raced in the European Formula 3 Championship," Di Resta explained. "Lewis was always a couple of years ahead of me in experience, but I managed to finish ahead of him. I also managed to beat Vettel."
The German was Di Resta's team-mate in the ASM team which dominated the 2006 Euro F3 championship but it was the Scot, with five race wins in the season, who outpaced Vettel to clinch a notable major title.
But while his rival — who finished second in the championship — was bankrolled into F1, initially joining Sauber, Di Resta switched to the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) as part of the Mercedes Young Driver Development Programme.
Immediately the Scot shone and despite driving a two-year-old car finished fifth in the championship. After narrowly missing out on the title in 2008 and '09, he dominated the championship last year, winning three races in succession, to take the title.
Di Resta's achievement was all the more impressive in that while launching a full-out assault in DTM, he was also test and reserve driver with Force India. Not only did his responsibilities involve attending all 19 grands prix around the globe, but he took part in numerous Friday morning practice sessions.
"I was definitely ready for the next step"
"There's no denying that experience has certainly helped me so far this year," Di Resta, who stopped-off in Mumbai for a promotional appearance with his Force India team en route to Melbourne, contined.
"When I turned up for the first pre-season F test at Valencia in February, I certainly felt at home because I knew how the Force India team worked, I knew the personnel and I knew the car. So I was definitely ready for the next step."
That next step was to join team-mate Adrian Sutil as a fully-fledged F1 racing driver. Like his cousin, triple IndyCar champ and double Indy500 winner Dario Franchitti, Di Resta eschews the glamour and glitz preferring, instead, his close circle of family and friends. And the youngster is always quick to identify the person without whom he wouldn't have progressed to F1.
"It's all down to my dad Louis," he continued. "I owe it all to him; there's no question about it. He's the person who not only got me into karting, but worked in the cold garage to prepare the kart for me to race. He's the guy who got his hands dirty. All I had to do was race. This is all as much for dad as it is for me."
"I want to win every race I start"
Di Resta snr though will have to wait a while before seeing his boy in action. As someone who will not fly, he's expected to drive to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix at the end of May.
Before that though Di Resta — now a global ambassador for Whyte & Mackay whisky — is quietly confident he will have shown in the opening grands prix that he has what it takes to not only be competitive, but eventually to win races and ultimately the world championship.
"Obviously I want to win the world championship," he admitted. "As a racing driver you want to win every race you start, and every championship you enter; and I'm no different. But it will take time; it won't happen immemdiately.
"I'm with a super team at Force India and while I'm not going to make any predictions, I know the pace, reliability and performance we have. Hopefully we can spring a surprise or two this season."
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Jim McGill