Paul di Resta reckons Q3 realistic for Force India in Canada after practice

Having been fifth-fastest in free practice two, the Scot is convinced that he can adapt to the expected changes in weather conditions before qualifying, and fight for a top-10 grid spot.

"The weather was a bit of a worry today with the constant threat of rain, so we had a very busy morning and probably did more laps in free practice one than we normally would," he said.

"The initial baseline of the car was good and we worked on improving things further with each run. By the end of the day I was very happy with the feel of the car in terms of balance.

"Of course, the ambient conditions are expected to change overnight and we need to see how that impacts us tomorrow, but based on today's performance I think we can target Q3 if everything comes together."

Di Resta's team-mate Nico Hulkenberg was equally happy with his Friday running, having been sixth and eighth in the two practice sessions.

"I enjoyed both sessions and ended the day with a very positive feeling," said the German.

"The balance of the car is where we want it to be and the changes we made to during the lunch break seemed to take us in the right direction. There is still a lot of homework to do this evening and room to improve things further, but it's been a good start to the weekend."