Di Resta to give it everything

Paul di Resta will be going for broke during Saturday’s final practice session as he looks to make up for lost time after a disastrous Friday…

Paul di Resta will be going for broke during Saturday’s final practice session as he looks to make up for lost time after a disastrous Friday.

The entire grid was hamstrung by two red flags in first practice as a result of structural issues on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, with only 49 of the planned 90 minutes of the session going ahead.

Di Resta managed five laps during that period, but when practice resumed in the afternoon, the Force India driver spent most of the session in the garage as the team tried to fix a brake problem.

The Briton was eventually able to register one timed lap, but the situation has left di Resta struggling ahead of Saturday’s qualifying.

“What can you say?” said Di Resta.

“The guys worked their backsides off to fix the car and get me out in time, and much credit to them because the part that failed could not have been in a more awkward position.

“But overall it wasn’t the best of days because what I really needed was time on track to help me learn the circuit.

“If anywhere was crucial for me to get laps this year, it’s here. It’s a good track, but it’s very technical. There’s a lot to it.

“Like Monaco, it’s about building confidence. There’s not much room for error. You certainly have to get close to the walls to maximise your performance.”

However, it’s not all doom and gloom for di Resta who is able draw on past experience for inspiration.

“In Monaco I lost the whole of FP2 with a gearbox problem, and yet I still qualified in front of Adrian,” explained the 25-year-old.

“It’s not going to be an easy task to do that again, but you have to deal with these situations, and they happen for a reason.”