By rookie standards, Di Resta had a strong year in 2011 and was rewarded with a new contract. Aside from a couple of clumsy moments last year, he's been very consistent, mature and dependable. His overtaking and defending still need a lot of work though (his defending against Senna last Sunday was horrible). Anyway, a space will open up at Ferrari soon and the speculated names include Perez, Kubica, Webber, Trulli and even Sutil! Yet no journalists or insiders have considered Di Resta a possible replacement. The other top teams also have unconfirmed line-ups for next year, which presents the midfield drivers with a great oppurtunity to move up the grid, but they need to do something special - become the stand-out performer in the midfield. From what I can see, Di Resta is consistently putting in decent performances but nothing more. I think he may end up spending the rest of his career stuck in the midfield, without ever reaching the podium. Do you agree?
I think he may end up spending the rest of his career in the midfield. Whether that's what he deserves is another question entirely. You say yourself that Di Resta is consistently putting in decent performances. I would say to you that Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher (both of whom I rate highly) aren't consistent, and Felipe Massa and Mark Webber rarely put in decent performances.
Righto, lets evaluate those six names and see who could fit Ferrari's bill: Perez:The ideal choice, he showed that he does at least have some potential and as a prodigy of Ferrari's young driver academy, Ferrari would now have their eyebrows raised to improbable heights. However, there is something about Perez that I've never been particularly excited about, but never been able to put my finger on it. Perhaps it's because he drives for Sauber. Would he be a number two driver? Kubica: Undoubtedly a great driver before his accident, and I have no doubt that if he were uninjured, he'd already be driving for Ferrari. But he has missed over a year due to his injuries, so even if he fully recovered (which, unfortunately, I don't see happening soon) he would still be very race-rusty and would be struggling with Pirelli tires and other components. A big shame as Kubica has always been one of my favourites. Webber: Could be seen as extremely valuable to Ferrari, with over six years of knowledge of the inside workings of Red Bull. It's also well established that he and Fernando get on well, and is a very level-headed racer capable of scoring strong points. However, as Bhaji says, he is in the later part of his career, and would likely be a one-year prospect. Trulli: A once great qualifier, Trulli's career ended at Caterham, having been thumped by Kovalainen and "moneyed" out by Petrov. His big problems were lack of consistency and age which is really what Ferrari don't need right now. Offered a drive by Ferrari at one stage in his career but remained loyal to Toyota. Unfortunately, I could only see him turning out to be a repeat of Fisichella or Badoer. Sutil: Solid in the midfield for Force India for the last few years, Sutil was replaced because Force India saw potential in a younger prospect in the form of Nico Hulkenberg, combined with his actions off the track in China. Would be a solid replacement but Ferrari would be worried about needing to avoid that kind of controversy. Di Resta: As you say Forza, Di Resta did a solid job last year by rookie standards and I'm sure he has a future in F1. A quiet achiever, I'm inclined to think a team like Mercedes would be looking out for him instead of Ferrari. He drove in DTM with Mercedes, and drives a Mercedes-powered car. Ferrari would be wise to consider all the possibilities before replacing Massa though.
If Force India survives and has the funding to develop this season, and di Resta doesn't become a casualty of Vijay Mallya's financial woes, then I think he might nick the odd podium in the team he's in. He drives well, has very good car control and generally keeps out of trouble. Everyone has off-days and last Sunday was a difficult race but he still managed to finish well inside the top ten. Also, we're only gradually getting a picture of the pecking order - the first two races have given us glimpses of car behaviours to pick at but nothing substantial in terms of relative performance in normal conditions. Sauber and Williams look very strong in the midfield but Force India is well organised and has made a step forward every year, although overhauling Lotus this year is a big ask. Career-wise I'm not sure. His profile isn't massively high and he doesn't have a buzz about him like some of the other sophomores but his solid, workmanlike approach and calm manner might suit a McLaren, should Hamilton move on to pastures new and Button maintain his current performance level.
I expect Hulkenberg to get the better of di Resta this season, which will make it difficult for him to progress to a bigger team. Mercedes or McLaren would be his most likely destination if he was to get a better drive, the intra-team battle at Force India could become a shoot out for the vacant Mercedes seat at the end of the season, I doubt Schumacher will continue beyond this season.
Personally, I think di Resta is a charmless misery-guts who takes himself far too seriously; all that earnest intensity creates an impression that he's better than he is. I'm not saying I think he's bad but he doesn't sparkle on the track or off it. A smile would be nice once in a while at least But really, he needs a Pérez-style result to show he's got something.
I really do think the battle between Hulkenberg and di Resta is over a future Mercedes seat. If di Resta loses out to Nico, then- as others have said- he may get stuck in the midfield.
I'm pleased to see this thread has recovered from its poor start. It is a good article, Forza Ferrari, and you deserve better than cheap, thoughtless vandalism. There are indeed some comparisons to be drawn between di Resta and Perez; not least the strong possibility that they both, at some point, graduate to a top team: Mercedes (or McLaren) and Ferrari respectively. Part of the job for these guys is keeping their heads down and consistently putting in solid performances. So far, they are both on track (sic).
I think this is the key. With Perez, even if Ferrari don't sign him for next year, other teams will be interested in him. For instance, if Lotus want to replace error-prone Grosjean, in Perez they have someone with great talent and sponsors. NNW, Heidfeld had many decent performances and was very consistent - that made him a journeyman. The other drivers you mention have all put in many great performances. Di Resta hasn't. I'm not sure about this anymore. Mercedes are getting closer and closer to the front and this might encourage Schumacher to re-sign for another year or two. Even if he retires, don't Mercedes have their sights set on Hamilton?
