Scot forced on the attack after shocking practice session in Singapore
Last Updated: September 24, 2011 11:24am
Di Resta: Ready to go for it
Paul di Resta has vowed to "go for it" in qualifying after a wretched debut day in Singapore.
On what is arguably Formula One's most technically demanding track, as well as the most physically and mentally draining, Friday was one to forget for the Scot.
Issues with kerbing around the Marina Bay Street Circuit and two red flags in first practice limited the session to just 49 of the planned 90 minutes, with Di Resta managing just five timed laps.
As if that was not bad enough, a hydraulic brake issue kept the 25-year-old in the garage for almost the entirety of the second session, limiting him to one lap at the start and one at the end.
It means with one hour of practice remaining ahead of qualifying on Saturday, Di Resta goes into it with a mere seven timed laps in total under his belt.
Bad luck
"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."
Even with the one timed lap on the faster supersoft tyres at the end, Di Resta clawed his way up to 13th, albeit 1.5secs behind team-mate Adrian Sutil who was seventh quickest.
Performance
Di Resta added: "Given my limited time in the car, the overall performance wasn't too bad.
"Adrian showed how much the car is on the pace, so although we've an idea, we've no real data on tyre wear and how the balance is.
"We're going to have to go in with a baseline set-up and just go for it. What else can you really take from it?"
Drawing on one positive experience from earlier in the year, Di Resta said: "In Monaco I lost the whole of FP2 with a gearbox problem, and yet I still qualified in front of Adrian.
"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."
Credit: Sky Sports (www.skysports.com)
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