Di Resta targets pointsposted in F122 | 03 | 2013
WHILE SCOTLAND SHIVERS in sub-zero temperatures, Bathgate's Paul di Resta will battle with 40-degree heat and intense humidity this weekend as he targets more points in the Malaysian Grand Prix (see more official photos of Paul in action in Malaysia).
The 26-year-old, who was controversially ordered to hold eighth position in Australia five days ago rather than be allowed to overtake his Sahara Force India team-mate, is looking to build on his strong start.
"We're definitely looking to build on what we achieved in Australia," Di Resta said today after going eighth-fastest in Free Practice.
"We showed our car is fast, plus it's kind to its tyres, and that combination is package a number of other teams would like to have.
"We've come out of the first race much stronger than in recent years, and both here and Bahrain were very good for us last year.
"Having achieved what we did in Melbourne, we are on the right path to continue that and try and push ourselves into the mix for sixth, seventh and eight in the next few races."
And the Scot — whose team is currently fifth in the Constructors' Championship — accepts he will face stiff competition from McLaren when it overcomes its current problems.
"No one truly expected the McLarens to finish ninth and 11th in Melbourne," Di Resta continued. "But given where McLaren is, obviously the sooner the races come up is an advantage to us.
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"You have to respect that they are going to be fast again and they are going to be the ones that push us out of fifth.
"But with the Sepang track being notoriously tough on tyres, hopefully we can stay ahead of them again this weekend."
Many people will be watching to see whether Kimi Raikkonen's dominant win in Australia was a flash-in-the-pan, or whether there is real substance to his Lotus' performance.
The Finn, who controlled his pace ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel, isn't getting carried away.
"Of course it’s not going to be easy for us," Raikkonen, who won the first grand prix of his career in Malaysia exactly 10 years ago, said. "I’m sure we have the people and all the tools to make it happen.
"I think we have to do two or three races before we really know who is where and what’s going to happen. Hopefully it will turn out to be a good weekend."
Alonso, meanwhile, is content that his Ferrari team isn't far behind the pace of the Lotus.
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"I think the pace of the Lotus was very good, but nothing that we could not do," the Spaniard said.
"They had a very clean race, with no traffic and a very good strategy but the pace was nothing out of reach.
"Here we can fight a little bit closer."
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, fifth in Melbourne behind the second Ferrari of Felipe Massa, admitted he's not overawed by the qualifying pace shown by Red Bull in Australia.
"I think if I was out at the same time and as late as they had gone out, I think I could have matched their time," the former McLaren racer explained.
"So I don't think it was frightening pace. It was a circuit that was drying up.
"I do feel positive about our car, I feel really positive about the team. I came away from Australia with 10 points, and I feel really happy with 10 points.
"I am seeing our development coming through, so hopefully that shines this weekend."
Raikkonen showed he will again be a force to be reckoned with when he topped the timesheets in today's Free Practice at the Sepang circuit.
The Finn clocked a fastest time of 1min 36.569secs, 0.019s ahead of Vettel's Red Bull, with the Ferraris of Massa and Alonso this and fourth respectively.
Hamilton was ninth, 1.005s off the pace, and 0.003s slower than Di Resta.
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Jim McGill