Why di Resta was right to ignore IndyCar

Tracking Paul di Resta's next career move once it was clear he was losing his Formula 1 drive was like playing a rubbish game of Chinese whispers.

One minute he was definitely going to replace cousin Dario Franchitti in Chip Ganassi's IndyCar line-up, the next he was going to be an F1 third-driver or even land a race drive further down the grid than Force India.

So why not live the American dream?

Of all the theories that were put forward over the winter, there was one that really made sense: Mercedes was keen to get its last DTM champion back under a roof, and supposedly it made these feelings known quite early in the saga.

While the Chinese whispers were hard to keep up with for those chasing the story, things weren't that straightforward for the man in question either. Di Resta understandably made sure he had covered all the available options before signing up, but even he was getting mixed messages when seeking advice/opinions from those close to him.

The logic of replacing the retiring Franchitti in IndyCar was sound, and it would have made for a feel-good moment in the otherwise sad circumstances of Dario's enforced retirement due to injury.

Di Resta has worked to shake the tag of being Dario's cousin © XPB

While a berth at Ganassi was by no means guaranteed - Rubens Barrichello's single season in IndyCar did little to boost F1 drivers' causes over there - Franchitti's clout in US single-seater racing would surely have helped ease a deal through if di Resta had wanted it.

And while the Briton has worked hard to shake off the tag of being 'Dario's cousin', those family ties would probably have been handy in buying him more time than some other young drivers get when they ditch Europe for America.

Franchitti turned his move stateside in 1997 into a legendary, multiple championship- and Indianapolis 500-winning career. What's not to love about trying to do the same?

Before getting into specifics of di Resta's case, it's worth considering that 'Indy' racing is nowhere near the level that it was in the late 1990s when Franchitti and several other top European racers gave up on F1 to join a series that had Bernie Ecclestone worried.

As our US correspondent Mark Glendenning recently explained, there's nothing wrong with the competitiveness or the entertainment of the racing, but for some reason Americans don't tune in (or buy tickets) like they used to before the ugly CART/IRL split of the mid-1990s.

Contrast that with the DTM, which di Resta is quick to accept has "moved on in a lot of ways" since he won the championship in 2010.

In that time the series has adopted new technical rules, BMW has taken the fight to Mercedes and Audi, and plans are still in place for expansion of some sort to Japan and America.

BMW's return has been a major fillip for the DTM © XPB

Given the other options di Resta had on the table, taking the plunge in IndyCar was a huge risk. What if he didn't take to ovals?

He wouldn't be the first European racer to struggle to get the hang of it, and we're not that far removed from Mike Conway making the bold decision to declare his discomfort with those races.

Ovals also bring up the issue of safety in American racing. The loss of Dan Wheldon in 2011 was felt across the world, but understandably the British racing community took it hard.

Yes, a new, safer car has been introduced since then, but even if Franchitti was pushing hard for his cousin to cross the Atlantic, he'd have had little response when di Resta raised the safety argument, given that his career was ended by a crash towards the end of last year.

Di Resta says that after "lots of chats with Dario" he has his cousin's blessing to stay in Europe. In his words, "we got to the right decision".

Interestingly, he stressed that he hasn't ruled out IndyCar for good, but at this stage it's nothing more than something to consider later in his career.

There are other factors working in favour of the DTM over IndyCar for di Resta. Having not raced in a spec-chassis category since Formula Renault in 2004, the appeal of being part of a fierce development race between Mercedes, Audi and BMW was a big draw.

While IndyCar is desperately trying to open up areas of its technical regs to allow for variety in machinery, it hasn't made much progress beyond the engine side yet, and any technical freedom that is coming in the next few years is still not going to match the DTM package - even if that series does now have some common parts across all three manufacturers.

Replacing Dario may have had an emotional lure, but the DTM was the more obvious choice for di Resta © XPB

Having spent three years in F1, di Resta is accustomed to being a key part of a development process, rather than "having the same kit as everyone else and just playing with springs and rollbars".

Aside from joining one of the factory entries in the World Endurance Championship, the DTM is by far the best option on that front, and it keeps that skill set sharp should an F1 opportunity arise.

Ah yes, the inevitable mention of F1. Despite some people telling him to cut his F1 dream loose, di Resta doesn't want to let it go that easily.

Surely inspired by seeing Nico Hulkenberg, Adrian Sutil, Kamui Kobayashi, Bruno Senna, Nick Heidfeld and Heikki Kovalainen all land full- or part-time returns from keeping their profile up in the F1 paddock, the opportunity to do something similar is a huge motivation to stay in Europe.

Unlike some of those names above, di Resta didn't lose his drive in the first place due to any lack of ability.

Given the right set of circumstances, he would surely be top of any team's list if an opportunity arose that didn't require funding.

While nothing has been confirmed, di Resta is keen to combine his DTM race programme with a reserve F1 drive this year - something he has experience of from 2010 when he had eight F1 free-practice outings with Force India.

The Mercedes link makes sense, and it's surely only a matter of time before the terms of that agreement are finalised. All di Resta will say at this stage is that Mercedes is "well aware of where I want to be, and I have their full support".

Another major factor that cannot be overlooked in this process is just how strong the DTM is at the moment.

Di Resta on Friday practice duty for Force India in 2010 © XPB

Some deride it as too German, and therefore a series that can't get a major foothold in world motorsport. But aside from F1, and grand events like the Le Mans 24 Hours, Indianapolis 500 and Monte Carlo Rally, what can these days?

The fact is that it has big crowds and TV figures in its home country, and is one of the hardest places for anyone to 'buy' their way onto the grid.

Given the derision of Formula 1 for its reliance on pay drivers, the fact that Mercedes, Audi and BMW make as many of their driver decisions as possible based on merit - and are frequently offering test opportunities to deserving young talents - should be applauded.

The result? Over a 1m33s lap at Hockenheim last October, the 22-car field was covered by eight tenths of a second in the first segment of qualifying.

It's for reasons like those that di Resta is happy to admit that if his F1 plan doesn't come off, he could "happily race here for another 15 years".

When describing the opposition he will come up against he used phrases such as "credibility", "professional", "here on merit", "in it for the long-term" and "no silly banzai moves".

There are very few series at the moment in which those words can apply to the majority, if not all of the drivers on the grid.

Di Resta is right when he says "outside of F1, there's nothing like the DTM".

Why would he want to be anywhere else?