Di Resta: Mistakes will be made
Paul di Resta is adamant he won't succumb to the pitfalls of the high life as he prepares to face old rivals Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
Di Resta will join fellow Brits Hamilton and Jenson Button on the Formula One grid after being confirmed as a Force India race driver for this year's Championship.
With the heady world of fame and Formula One awaiting him, the 24-year-old is confident he won't succumb to the playboy lifestyle that earned compatriot Button a reputation in his younger days.
"I did used to spend a bit of time at the club when I was younger," said di Resta. "But it was getting to the point where it was taking too long for me to recover.
"You have to be focused and as I train in the morning it was taking it out of me, plus I have also had a girlfriend for a long while.
"I still enjoy a good night out with the boys, but at the same time you have to be focused and level-headed.
"I have only got a short span in my career and I need to be at my best. There is plenty of time in life for me to do other stuff."
And with F1 set for its longest-ever Championship this season, the Force India driver concedes he's going to need to operating at his maximum to cope with his debut campaign.
"You have to perform at 20 races throughout the year whether you like it or not.
"So I know it is going to be difficult. The workload is going to increase for me this year with so many races compared to what I am used to racing in a year.
"I don't think time wise it's going to be as bad, but on the brain it is going to be much more demanding.
"So it is about extracting the best from the car and putting the effort in."
He added: "You are going to make mistakes. You are only human.
"But as long as you don't make the same mistake twice then you are going to be happy. We are not machines, and even machines fail."
Di Resta's signing also means he faces the prospect of renewing his head-to-head battles with old friends Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
The 24-year-old competed against Hamilton from the age of eight and Vettel when he was 13. However, it took him several years longer to find his way into Formula One.
"I wouldn't say I was frustrated, but looking at it they were luckier than me," he said.
"They had different backing and it got them to where they wanted to go that bit quicker. They had it a bit easier than I did.
"But I've got there. Okay they've won World Championships, but I've achieved what I wanted to achieve.
"It was four good years of my life in touring cars, years I'll look back on and say I definitely enjoyed them. I don't regret it now.
"You can always think someone has something better than you or done something better, but hopefully in the future I can beat them."
He added: "I am definitely confident of being competitive against them.
"Provided everything is in working order, right car and right pace, I'm confident I can race them.
"I've raced them for many years coming up through the sport, and I have treated them with a lot of respect, and I hope they'd treat me with respect.
"We've all had great battles, some you win, some you lose, and I hope I'll get a repeat of that in the future."
Credit: PlanetF1.com (www.planetf1.com)
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