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Formula One Fantasy - Force India’s Paul di Resta

From a young boy in Scotland, watching Ayrton Senna racing and dreaming of similar success, to a fully-fledged Formula One driver in his own right, Paul di Resta has been busy in recent years making his childhood dreams become reality. Next on the agenda must surely be his first F1 podium, first victory and first title. In the meantime, however, he’s been daydreaming about inviting Clark, Senna, Fangio and Enzo Ferrari to dinner, perhaps for some fish and chips…

Q: You must choose a city for a new Formula One street circuit - which city, anywhere in the world, do you choose, and why?

Paul di Resta: Of course it would be Edinburgh, where I am from. I admit that the likelihood of this ever happening is not very big, so when I look around for something that looks more likely I would opt for New York. That would be very special.

Q: If you could choose one former world champion as your team mate, who would you choose and why?

PdR: Ayrton Senna. He had something special. He was my hero from the very first time I started to get interested in Formula One. If you asked who meant the most to me I would probably say Jim Clark or Jackie Stewart, but I have never seen them on track - only heard stories about them. But Ayrton I saw racing with my own eyes - and I remember racing a kart the day he died.

Q: Formula One innovations of the past - ground effect, active suspension, turbocharging, six wheels, the list goes on. If you could bring back one past innovation, what would it be and why?

PdR: It would probably be the heavy tyres. The mechanical grip from those big tyres must have been awesome to drive.

Q: What innovations would you like to see in the future?

PdR: I think we have to keep the noise of the car. That is such an integral part of Formula One racing. Losing it would change the sport. The noise and the speed are what fans expect when they watch F1, and that is what we should give them.

Q: You can only drive at one circuit for the rest of your life - which circuit, past or present from anywhere in the world, do you choose?

PdR: That is a difficult question to ask a rookie because I haven’t driven them all yet. From what I have driven so far I would say Silverstone. It is the best track that the cars excel on. It is very high speed - and of course Britain is the home of motorsport. On top of this, most of the factories are within close range of the track and that would make things easy and pleasant.

Q: Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Tyrrell, March are just some of the teams that have departed the sport. Which former team would you most liked to have raced with and why?

PdR: It is not from my era, but I would want Tyrrell back.

Q: You have to design a new F1 circuit, combining all your favourite corners from other tracks around the world. Which three corners are top of your list and why?

PdR: Eau Rouge from Spa, Becketts from Silverstone, and despite having only tried it on the simulator, I would say the first corner of Suzuka. I can’t wait to go there and try it myself.

Q: You can travel back in time and compete in any decade of Formula One racing, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Which decade would you choose and why?

PdR: The 1990s - because that was the time that inspired me to look for a future in Formula One.

Q: What current Formula One regulation would you most like to change and why?

PdR: I would bring refuelling back. It made qualifying much more unpredictable and racing lighter cars is more fun. On top of that, strategy would play a much more significant part of racing than now.

Q: If you could pick two Formula One greats of the past (from different eras) to watch race against each other, whom would you pick?

PdR: I would choose Sir Jackie (Stewart) against Ayrton Senna.

Q: If you were a team boss, which current driver would you pick first for your team (excluding yourself and your current team mate)?

PdR: I wouldn’t say because I wouldn’t like them to know. I would make my moves behind the scenes!

Q: Just 19 of the world’s motor racing circuits feature on the current F1 calendar. You can add one more. Which circuit do you pick and why?

PdR: Not having driven at tracks that have dropped out, other than Bahrain, I would say bring Bahrain back.

Q: You are having a dinner party and can invite four people from the world of motorsport, past or present. Who do you invite?

PdR: Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna, Juan Manuel Fangio and Enzo Ferrari. That would be a real treat for me and I would try to get each of the four to tell me their formula for success.

Q: You are given the chance to drive any legendary Formula One car of the past (excluding those made by your own team). Which car would you choose?

PdR: The championship-winning McLaren that Senna drove.

Q: Rooftop swimming pool, bowling alley, revolving sushi bar - just some of the features most F1 motorhomes don’t possess. If you could add one thing to your team’s motorhome, what would it be?

PdR: Probably more people. I come from DTM and there you have a much livelier paddock.

Q: Imagine you have just won the world title. Where would you go for your celebratory meal and what would choose from the menu?

PdR: I have won the world championship? Wow, a nice thought! I would go back to my hometown, where I started out, and be with my family and friends. And being British it has to be fish and chips on the menu.

Credit: Formula One Administration Ltd (www.formula1.com)