Di Resta poised for Aston DTM debut 02 | 05 | 2019
BATHGATE’S PAUL DI RESTA will launch Aston Martin’s debut in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) this weekend at Hockenheim. And the 2010 DTM champ can’t wait to race the all-new car on-track in the two 55-minute races. (Related: Paul di Resta seals Asian LMP2 title)
“It’s been a helter-skelter programme to get the Aston Martin ready for the season,” the 32-year-old former F1 racer and current Sky Sports F1 pundit, explained today, “but now we’re ready to go.
“We completed the pre-season testing last month at the Lausitzring, and the car delivered exactly what we expected.So this weekend we head to Hockenheim confident we have a race car which can match the pace of the main contenders.
“But we know it’s going to be tough. The Audi and BMW teams have 18 months advantage over us in terms of developing their cars, so we know we have some catching up to do. (Related: Di Resta to lead Aston Martin assault on DTM)
“It won’t be an easy task: we’re a relatively small outfit up against two of the best manufacturers in the world That said, we all know what it takes to win and we’ll be doing everything in our power to deliver the best results this weekend.”
Di Resta’s Aston Martin Vantage has been built and developed by HWA on behalf of the Swiss-based R-Motorsport team. It’s no coincidence HWA also ran the Mercedes factory team in which the Scot claimed his DTM title.
“It’s worth remembering I’ve also worked with HWA since my Formula 3 days,” Di Resta continued, “and I strongly believe they’re the stand-out organisation in every series they contest.
“They were one of the big reasons behind Mercedes’ DTM success, and I’ve got absolute trust and belief that R-Motorsport can do the job.”
The Scot will lead the four-car Aston Martin assault, along with team-mates, 23-year-old Jake Dennis from Nuneaton, Austrian Ferdinand von Habsburg and Spaniard Daniel Juncadella.
Related: Paul di Resta storms to Brands Hatch win
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Jim McGill