Di Resta eyes Japan sweet zoneposted in F110 | 10 | 2013
BATHGATE'S PAUL DI RESTA will put the disappointment of his crash in Korea out of his mind when he fires up his Sahara Force India for this weekend's race in Japan.
But the 27-year-old Scot acknowledges the fast Suzuka circuit isn't ideally suited to his car, and as a result will be a big challenge.
"There's no denying Suzuka is a big challenge for us, but it’s important we keep our heads up and try to put the disappointment of Korea behind us," Di Resta, who stopped off for a midweek break in Tokyo, said.
"It’s one of the best tracks we race on. For me it’s up there with Silverstone because it demands so much from the car. Running on low fuel for a qualifying lap is a great feeling and something I look forward to.
"It’s also a big technical challenge in terms of optimising the set-up, and it’s very tough on tyres because of the high-speed corners.
"Japan's a great place to go racing, with a lot of passion and history. It’s in Japan that we meet some of the most dedicated fans in Formula One because the grandstands are always full.
"As at any track, qualifying is crucial, and that's where we've been struggling recently, but we are making small steps forward on the one-lap pace and working hard to recapture the race pace we showed earlier in the season before the changes to the Pirelli tyre construction.
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"We know we're definitely going to have to get ourselves in the sweet zone if we're going to achieve anything. I know everyone in the team is heading there with the same goal: but any points in Japan will be a bonus and gladly received."
Three-times world champ Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, heads into the race with a 77-point lead knowing if Ferrari's Fernando Alonso finished lower than eighth , he'll lift his fourth title for Red Bull.
But the German has stated that despite Red BUll dominating the last four season's, their performance is still overshadowed by that of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari.
"In Korea, the gap was somewhere between three and six seconds over the other guys for the whole race," Vettel said.
"With Schumacher, it was more like 30 seconds, which is a big difference.
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"It is a nice cushion to have when you are three seconds down the road, but one stupid mistake in Korea with a lock up, which is very likely, then three seconds is nothing compared to 30.
"We were always in a position to finish in strong positions on Sundays, but lately we have been strong in qualifying whereas at the beginning of the year Mercedes definitely seemed to have the upper hand," he continued.
"There is no real explanation from our side, no one part that went on our car and all of a sudden it is that much quicker.
"We were able to improve the car, so arriving in Spa the car was better than it was since Hungary.
"I am sure the others do the same, but it seems we have lots of good parts coming lately.
"Also, there is the factor of understanding the car more than beginning of the season, and we can react quicker to change the set-up in the right manner."
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Jim McGill