Force India boss Vijay Mallya praises 'mature' Paul di Resta

Di Resta endured a difficult final spell to last season, where a chassis problem cost him form and he struggled to match the pace of team-mate Nico Hulkenberg.

But having had time over the winter to regroup and work on the issues, di Resta has made a strong start to the current year, and came close to a maiden podium finish in Bahrain.

Mallya thinks that as well as rediscovering his best form, di Resta's no-nonsense approach to work has been a boost to the team too.

Di Resta: making the direct approach work

"The performances of Paul confirm just how much he has matured as a driver," explained Mallya.

"He's delivering consistently every week and we are reaping the rewards of all his hard work.

"He suffered a difficult end to the 2012 season, but he's shown great mental strength and determination to regroup over the winter and recapture his best form. He's pushing the team on and demanding the best from everyone, which is what we need."

With Force India having been strong at all tracks, Mallya sees no reason why di Resta and team-mate Adrian Sutil cannot continue to battle for top three places again at this weekend's Spanish GP.

"Having come so tantalisingly close to the podium with Paul last time out, we head to Barcelona full of optimism," he explained.

"The hard work everyone is putting in is paying off and we hope to see the rewards this coming weekend."