Di Resta delightedposted in F103 | 02 | 2011

BATHGATE'S PAUL di Resta left Valencia after the final day of the opening Formula One test in Spain excited by the speed and reliability his Force India car delivered.

"We've achieved everything we wanted to over the past three days," the 24-year-od Scot (pictured), who handed the revised 2010 Force India over to team-mate Adrian Sutil today, said. "It's looking good."

"We've managed to go through all the programmes we had intended. The team leaves here with a huge amount of data and feedback which will be helpful in the development of the 2011 VJM04, which we launch at the Jerez test next week."

Di Resta, who finished yesterday third-fastest on the timesheets, beaten only by world champions Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, looked on today as Sutil got his first feel for the car in 2011.

With conditions improving and getting faster, as the cars laid more rubber down on the track, the German — who covered 117 of the 2.5-mile laps — finished the day second, just 0.057secs behind the renault of Robert Kubica. The Pole clocked a best of 1min 13.144secs.

Former world champ Jenson Button got his first action of the year. Driving an updated 2010 car — the 2011 McLaren is unveiled in Berlin tomorrow — Button's best time, a 1m13.553s, put him third ahead of Mark Webber's Red Bull and the Ferrari of fifth-placed Felipe Massa.

The Brazilian's day didn't get off to the best start when his Ferrari F150 stopped with flames licking from the rear of the car as a result of an oil leak just 12 laps into the season.

The teams, drivers and crew get a few days' break before they gather in Jerez for the four-day test next week starting on Thursday.

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

Jim McGill