Franchitti: Di Resta aceposted in F111 | 09 | 2010
THE BATHGATE BOYS have reformed as a unit, but it's a special one-off appearance for the season. While Scotland's most talented young racing driver Paul di Resta was putting his Force India Formula One car through its paces in Friday's free practice at Monza, he was joined in the team's garage for the Italian Grand Prix weekend by his cousins Dario and Marino Franchitti.
Brothers Dario and Marino grabbed the opportunity to nip down to Monza — driving two Ferraris, of course — to watch Paul drive. And for once, it wasn't double IndyCar champ and Indy500 winner Dario who was centre stage.
"No, we've come down to see Paul; he's the guy everyone's talking about," the 37-year-old explained to Scotcars as he grabbed a bite of lunch in a small Italian restaurant. "Paul's doing such a fantastic job." That 'job', in addition to the 24-year-old's commitments with Mercedes in the German DTM Championship, is test and reserve driver with Force India.
The talented young Scot is acknowledged as being the hottest commodity in the F1 paddock, and while Franchitti may have his four titles tucked into his race overalls, Di Resta is already being tipped as a potential F1 world champ.
"I think he's doing an unbelievable job and I think he'd do a great job for the team next year"
Just boys being boys
Franchitti, who stopped off in London earlier this week to have dinner with Marino and two other marauding Scots — 13-time grand prix winner David Coulthard and double Le Mans 24-Hours winner Allan McNish — then flew to Monte Carlo with his brother where they took possession of the two Ferraris they drove to Monza.
"We've a Testarossa and a 1976 Ferrari 308," Franchitti, who was also attending the Italian Grand Prix in his role as ambassador for TW Steel, continued. "So we're really just boys being boys; it's great fun."
But without question his No1 reason for stopping off at Monza was to see Di Resta, the cousin whose early career he encouraged and steered after the youngster's raw talent was identified during his karting days.
"I've only previously seen Paul driving in the Friday morning sessions on TV in the States," he continued, "so when I was given the opportunity to come to Monza to se him drive the car live for the first time, I jumped at it.
"I think he's doing really well, especially considering the difficult position he's in. People have to remember he's literally borrowing someone's car for the 90-minute session, so he has to look after it and obviously can't push 100%. In many ways he's driving within himself.
"Plus, while the rest of the drivers have F1 experience of all these tracks, this is Paul's first time there. And on top of that, he only gets one set of tyres for the session while the other guys get at least two or three. So Paul has to set his best time early in the session — while he's still getting used to the car, and learning the track — before his tyres go off.
Di Resta didn't fail to impress
"But it's a fantastic opportunity for him and I know the feedback's really positive. Ultimately though, the only people who really know how well he's doing given the parameters he's working within, are the guys inside Force India. Me? I think he's doing an unbelievable job and I think he'd do a great job for the team next year."
As expected, Di Resta — fifth at one stage — didn't fail to impress when he got behind the wheel of the Force India. His best time of 1min 24.923secs, set 62mins into the 90min session, elevated him to seventh on the timesheets. Of course, as the track conditions improved at the end of the session and the established drivers put new rubber on their cars, he slipped to 12th.
Of note though was the fact he was only 0.411s behind his more experienced team-mate Tonio Liuzzi. The Italian set his fastest lap in the final seconds of the session, with new tyres and when the track as at its best.
"I know we have the momentum"
After Sunday's race, Franchitti flies to Japan for next weekend's penultimate round of the IndyCar Championship at Motegi. With two wins, a second, two thirds and a fifth in his last six races, the Scot has slashed the 50-point lead once enjoyed by Aussie Will Power to just 17. Last year, as in 2007, Franchitti won the title on the final corner of the final race; can history repeat itself for a third time?
"Because I've done it before doesn't automatically mean I'll do it again," he said matter-of-factly. "Of course I'm feeling quite good because my Target Ganassi team and me both seem to do well at Motegi and Homestead, where the final race takes place.
"I know we have the momentum, but when we all arrive for a race weekend it's a case of starting from scratch for everybody. You have to get everything working exactly the way you want, then drive bloody fast.
"That's what I'll be doing next weekend and hopefully it'll take me another step closer to a third IndyCar Championship."
Jim McGill