Di Resta: F3 will be tough

The 18-year-old Scot, who finished third in last year's Formula Renault UK championship driving for Manor Motorsport, has already had his first taste of F3 competition, having performed impressively at the recent Bahrain Superprix.

Di Resta admitted his 2004 season got off to a slow start but pronounced himself satisfied with his results thereafter.

"It was always going to be difficult with the new cars at the beginning of the year, and we didn't crack it as quick as some other teams did," he said. "Pre-season testing went well - or so we thought - but when we got to the first round it we found it wasn't good enough. It was just a matter of time before it clicked and once it did we started to win races."

Di Resta will stay with Manor as he graduates to the Euroseries but has no illusions that it will be easy in what is now probably the world's most competitive F3 category.

"There's a lot of guys with more experience than me, but, you know, I just have to do good winter testing and see how the programme goes with the new cars. Hopefully my Dallara-Mercedes package will go well. I'm looking forward to it."