Force India test for di Resta and Hildebrand

Tuesday 24th November 2009

Force India have confirmed that Paul di Resta and JR Hildebrand will share the driving duties during the young driver test at Jerez in December.

Scottish driver di Resta, who finished third overall in the 2009 DTM Championship, came close to racing for Force India this past season before the team opted to stick with Giancarlo Fisichella.

However, the 23-year-old hopes next week's test could lead to a future in F1.

"I am thrilled to be joining Force India for this test. It's been a while since I last tested an F1 car but I've been working hard in the simulator and giving it my all in the DTM so I'm confident I'll be up to speed quickly," di Resta said.

"It's an exciting opportunity for me as F1 has always been my dream and I feel this is taking me one step closer to achieving it.

"I'm realistic that I've got a lot to prove and that I need a bit more experience of the cars and the F1 environment before getting a permanent seat but this is just the beginning of what I hope will be a very bright future with Force India."

For Indy Lights Champion Hildebrand the Jerez test will be his first outing in Formula One, and one he is eagerly anticipating.

"I'm ecstatic to get my first taste of F1. I've heard so much about the performance of the cars and know this is going to be quicker and more responsive than anything I've ever sat in before," he said.

"I know it's a big challenge but I feel ready to tackle it. The aim is to learn the track and the car and then hopefully show my potential.

"As an American we don't necessarily have the culture of F1 but anything that's so impressive and cutting-edge demands respect. I hope I can do the car and myself justice. Thanks to everyone for making this happen, I can't wait to get to Jerez."

Meanwhile, team owner Vijay Mallya has made it clear that an impressive performance from either driver could see them secure a test driver role for 2010.

"We will be looking at their performance on track very closely and should they perform well, as we are confident they will, we will look at a permanent role for one within the team in 2010, potentially as a test and reserve driver. As a young team we are looking for drivers who can grow with us."

Your Comments

racerrick48

"It's nice to see Vijay choose an American driver to test the Force India car. Our drivers have gotten a bad rap in the past, and J.R. is a damned good driver! I hope his test goes well."

kris1983

"is this "Planet-F1" or is it "Planet-A1 GP"!!!??? since when did f1 become a race between countries!!?? come on guyz grow up....its already sad enough that Mercedes is going for all German line-up & McLaren have gone with all british line-up, now if we fans start up with this, this will be the end of F1....Formula One as we knew, has already changed in multiple folds in just one year!!!! "

storm

"Come on Guys,Force India may have merc's engine but they don't have any talented drivers from India,so they have no choice but to choose someone elsewhere."