Paul di Resta Q&Aposted in F102 | 05 | 2011

BATHGATE'S PAUL DI RESTA heads to Turkey with Force India this week to begin his preparations for the latest round of the Formula One world championship in Istanbul. It will be the first time Paul has driven on the Istanbul Park circuit and before flying to Turkey he spoke to Jim McGill about his two-week break, coping with demands on his time … and Istanbul's famous Turn 8.

JM: You've had a decent break since you returned from Shanghai and the China Grand prix; what have you been up to?

Paul: It's been good and relaxing. When I came back from China I had a simulator session as part of the pre-race preparation for Turkey; then it was just a case of having a good time back at home at Monaco.

We had some family out for Easter, so I've spent the time relaxing, done a bit of training, just generally recharged the batteries and got on top of things after a pretty hectic five weeks.

We had a trip to India, then Australia and on to the double-header with Malaysia and China; so really it's just been a case of getting back in to the swing of things and getting myself ready for the next block of races coming up.

At the weekend I went to Hockenheim to see the opening round of the DTM Championship. It was good because want to keep a close partnership with Mercedes, who supply the engines in my Force India car, plus I have a lot of good friends there. It was be good to go back and see everybody after having such a successful year last year. And it was good to support all my former team-mates and friends at DTM.

We're already at the end of April, beginning of May and the last I really new it was the beginning of March.

Has that time passed in a blink?

It has. You just lose track of time, lose track of where you are; but I suppose that's the way it is in this fantastic Formula One environment.

Is it difficult to cope with at times?

Of course it's difficult to manage your time, but it comes with the job. I've dealt with it all, and it's not something I get stressed about. You just get on with it; it is what it is.

Is handling your own time one of the most difficult things?

I think it's about managing your training, managing your time, managing your rest; just making sure you're on top of it and ensuring you're as healthy as you can be. That's what I do; I've always looked after myself.

How did the simulator session go?

It went well. It was a general preview and gave me valuable information to help make decisions on set-ups, KERS and all the other various bits and pieces.

You didn't drive at Istanbul last year, so this is completely new to you?

Yup; another fantastic track to experience and learn. This is completely new. It looks an enjoyable circuit; every track has its good points and bad points, but I'm always very open and motivated, excited to drive a new track; it's another new experience.

And of course, it has the famous Turn 8

It does have the world famous Turn 8, which is something you definitely want to tackle. It's difficult to say too much about it until I get there. I think when I get a feeling for how the car is behaving into it, and generally how the car is performing, that will be a big influence on how I feel about it. I'm sure it can be a very easy corner, and at the same time be a very difficult corner.

What makes it unique?

The length of it and the speed. You're still under hard acceleration when you exit it, around 260-280km/h; it's quite a sensation. The car does go very light, plus the g-forces and the extreme load. We'll hit in excess of 5g.

Any new developments on the car?

We've a few wee bits and pieces? We'll be evaluating a new front wing design during practice as part of the VJM04's aero development programme with a view to racing it later in the season.

You've had a very positive and productive start to your F1 career, scoring in two of the three grands prix. What are the aims going into this weekend's race in Turkey?

I think it's important I don't go there with expectations. I need to just go there and build on what we've achieved so far. That's the approach we'll have.

We know we have work to do in terms of outright speed, but we've definitely maximised our strengths. We understand the car better now and that's where we have made big gains from winter testing.

The whole weekend we just need to maximise everything we can.

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Jim McGill