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Di Resta heads McLaren list
If Lewis Hamilton doesn’t stay, another Brit is on the radar of possible replacements. by eDD STraw
Force India racer Paul di Resta
is the frontrunner to take
Lewis Hamilton’s seat for
2013 if the contractual deadlock
between McLaren and the former
world champion is not broken.
Reports last week that McLaren
has decided to offer Hamilton
a five-year contract worth
£100 million are understood to be
premature, meaning that it is not
a foregone conclusion that he will
stay on. AUTOSPORT understands
that Hamilton’s management,
XIX Entertainment, is pushing
for a deal of that size but that
McLaren views those demands
as significantly too high.
The relationship between
Hamilton and McLaren remains
fractious. During the Monaco
Grand Prix he railed at his team
over the radio for failing to inform
him that he was in danger of being
jumped by Sebastian Vettel when
the Red Bull driver made his
pitstop after a long first stint.
Hamilton also lost a place to
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso when
the pair pitted a lap apart.
With Hamilton’s future
10 autosport.com May 31 2012
uncertain, McLaren is known to
have talked about di Resta as a
potential replacement.
This could be a move designed
to weaken Hamilton’s bargaining
position, by underlining that he is
not considered indispensable at a
time when his management is
making overtures to other teams.
McLaren team principal Martin
Whitmarsh holds 26-year-old
di Resta in high esteem, and played
a role in the Scot landing the test
role with Force India that led to his
promotion to the race team in 2011.
While it is unlikely that di Resta
is the only candidate that would be
considered, his strong start to the
Hamilton remains in
deadlock with McLaren
season, coming off the back of an
impressive rookie campaign, puts
him in a strong position.
Di Resta is under contract to
Force India for next season. But
AUTOSPORT understands that
both he and highly-rated teammate
Nico Hulkenberg would be
available provided appropriate
compensation could be agreed.
It is believed that there has not
yet been any discussion about a
move between di Resta’s manager,
Anthony Hamilton (the father of
Lewis Hamilton), and McLaren.
That is unlikely to happen until
either talks with XIX stall or
the August break at the earliest.
Force India team principal Vijay
Mallya hinted at last weekend’s
Monaco Grand Prix that he would
be willing to allow either of
his drivers to leave.
“We have secure contracts with
both [drivers],” he told Reuters.
“We have an excellent relationship
with both. Should they ever want
to think of going elsewhere, I am
sure they will come and tell us
and it will be something that
we will work out very amicably.”
Although Force India has
struggled for top-10 pace this year,
di Resta’s consistent pointsscoring
is understood to be
improving his chances of getting
into a race-winning car next year.
McLaren is not the only team
that admires him. Mercedes F1
CEO Nick Fry recently confirmed
that di Resta, who won the 2010
DTM title for the marque, would
be a strong contender to replace
Michael Schumacher should the
seven-time world champion not
remain at the team next season.
Schumacher reiterated in
Monaco that no decision has been
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