Di Resta excluded 29 | 06 | 2013

    BATHGATE'S PAUL DI RESTA had his best-ever qualifying performance ripped from his grasp just hours after posting the fifth-fastest time for the British Grand Prix.

    The 27-year-old Scot's Sahara Force India was found to be under the minimum weight limit: his car came in 1.5kg underweight in post-qualifying scrutineering.

    Even with a mandatory fuel sample on board, the car weighed only 641.5 kg, which is 0.5 kg below the minimum weight. And once the FIA had drained the car of fuel, it weighed just 640kg, two kilogrammes under the limit.

    With a 0.5kg tolerance accepted for the scales' accuracy, it was ruled that the car was officially 1.5kg underweight.

    The race stewards deemed the team had been in breach of the regulations and di Resta was thrown out of the results.

    As a result, the Scot — whose qualifying performances at Monaco and Canada were also ruined by mistakes by the team — will start from the back of the grid.

    Strangely, it's understood the issued centred on the weight of Di Resta himself, as the driver and car are combined to reach the 642kg limit.

    It's been unconfirmed by the team, but it's believed Di Resta's weight check at the end of qualifying was 1.5kg below his normal weight, which he had been after free practice.

    Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/scotcars

    Jim McGill

User Comments

Login or register to post comments.