Di Resta battered in crazy Italian raceposted in DTM31 | 10 | 2010
BATHGATE'S PAUL DI RESTA heads to the final round of the DTM Championship in China in four weeks three points behind new leader Bruno Spengler after a bruising race in damp conditions at Adria in Italy.
The 24-year-old Scot, who started today's penultimate round leading the Canadian by three points, lined up sixth on the grid and had eased his Mercedes into fourth place as he entered the start-finish straight at the end of lap one.
Seconds later as the duo emerged from the final turn, Di Resta's car was clattered into a spin by the Audi of Mike Rockenfeller then, almost immediately, the race was red-flagged when Alexandre Premat suffered a horrrific crash.
The Frenchman's Audi speared into the wall on the left of the pit straight at the end of lap one after contact with Maro Engel. The impact caused Premat's car to roll several times before, miracuously, the Frenchman emerged unscathed.
The delay though caused the race to be cut from 59 laps of the 1.6-mile circuit to just 38 and Di Resta took the restart 27 minutes later in 16th and last place.
The Scot though — who had won the previous three rounds at Brands Hatch, Oscherslaben and Hockenheim — carved his way through the field and with only six laps had moved himself up to eighth.
Ahead of him, the Audi of defending champ Timo Scheider was controlling the race on his way to his first win of the season, comfortably ahead of the Mercedes duo, England's Gary Paffett and Spengler.
But just as Di Resta looked as though he was going to limit the points damage, his Mercedes was collected by the Audi of Spain's Miguel Molina after the pair tangled on the long start-finish straight.
With the Audi uncontrollable after breaking its rear suspension, Molina careered straight through the first corner colliding with Di Resta and catapulting him into yet another spin.
With his car severely damaged, Di Resta rejoined but lost places to Engel and Mattias Ekstrom to eventually finish ninth and out of the points. With Spengler collect six for finishing third, the championship standings have completely reversed.
"That was crazy and a complete and utter nightmare," a hugely frustrated and incensed Di Resta said afterwards. "I really don't know what some of the guys out there were trying to prove.
"I'm fighting for a championship, yet my whole DTM season could be wrecked because of the actions of two drivers who are lying seventh and 11th in the championship.
"With six laps remaining I was in a position to move up to seventh, score two points and restrict Bruno's lead in the championship to just one point. But that all changed with the impact from Molina.
"Now it's a case of heading to Shanghai for the final round at the end of November knowing I have to win the race and hope Bruno finishes no higher than third. It's going to be a hell of a finish to the year."
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Jim McGill