Even after building a career across different motorsport categories, Paul di Resta has no doubts about what was the most remarkable point of his career. Now a Peugeot driver in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Scot stated in an exclusive interview with F1MANIA.NET that Formula 1 still holds a special place in his story.
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Di Resta competed in the category between 2011 and 2013 for Force India and returned to drive an F1 GP in 2017, when he replaced Felipe Massa at Williams. The Scot has had stints in DTM and endurance competitions, but admits that his childhood dream was always to reach the grid of the main motorsport category.
“Formula 1 has always been a dream for me since I was three or four years old. So, of course, I will say it was the most important category,” he said.
Despite placing F1 at the top of his career, Di Resta highlights that each category contributed in a different way to his development as a driver. For him, the main learning came from working with teams of different cultures throughout his career:
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“I spent a lot of time immersed in British culture in Formula 1, then in French culture and also German during my years with Mercedes. You realize how each group works, how they approach motorsport, and how they relate to people. Besides that, I built great friendships and excellent relationships throughout my career.”
Reflecting on the course of his career, the Scot acknowledged that not all changes happened by his own choice. Still, he believes that the evolution of endurance racing opened a new path for experienced drivers outside Formula 1.
“Not all changes happened by my decision. Some championships ended, as happened with DTM. But the World Endurance Championship became very attractive for manufacturers, both sportingly and from a marketing point of view. That brought us to where we are today,” Di Resta concluded.
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