Bahrain GP: Paul di Resta expects Force India to thrive if tyres wilt
Paul di Resta believes his Force India team's best chance of turning its impressive Friday practice pace into an equally strong Bahrain Grand Prix result is if tyre degradation stays high or worsens
The Scot finished both practice sessions on Friday in fifth position, and he reckons the Silverstone squad is certain to be in the top 10 in qualifying on Saturday.
Di Resta feels that the gentleness with which his car treats this year's tyres will boost his chances of a strong result on Sunday.
"The more difficult it is [with the tyres], the better it would be for us," said di Resta.
The Force India driver finished in eighth place in last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix, and reckons a strong result is on the cards again.
"I would certainly like to think that Q3 is where we are at the moment," he added.
"I think I can say if we qualified anywhere in the top 10 I'm fairly sure that we'd be up for a repeat of a decent race."
Team-mate Adrian Sutil was ninth fastest on Friday, but the German admitted he still had work to do with the set-up of his car.
"I'm still not totally comfortable with the car - either for short or long runs," he said. "It all feels very low grip at the moment so the set-up is not quite right for me yet.
"As for the tyres, there are no real concerns. My long runs looked competitive and both the medium and hard compounds seem to be working well for us in the high temperatures - as they did in Malaysia."
Bahrain GP practice quotes: Williams
Bahrain GP practice quotes: Ferrari
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix
Why “faster” Ferrari couldn’t beat Red Bull in Canadian GP
On paper the Canadian Grand Prix will go down as Max Verstappen’s latest triumph, fending off late pressure from Carlos Sainz to extend his Formula 1 world championship lead. But as safety car periods, virtual and real, shook up the race Ferrari demonstrated it can take the fight to Red Bull after recent failures
The in-demand helmet designer creating works of art for F1's best
GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV pays a visit to designer Jens Munser, to observe the production of Mick Schumacher’s special helmet for the Miami Grand Prix. What follows is some fascinating insight on the mindsets of Mick’s dad Michael, and family friend Sebastian Vettel