Paul Di Resta feels he is in better shape than in previous races after finishing both Friday practice sessions inside the top ten. The Briton was happy with the Force India in all three sectors, despite their contrasting nature, and is hopeful of making Q3 tomorrow.
“I think we can feel quite positive about today. It was all pretty straightforward and the data looks quite encouraging. The hot conditions were tricky for everyone and the car was moving around quite a bit, but we’ve ended the day with a pretty sorted car that is working well in the low and high speed parts of the lap. I’m certainly feeling more confident with the car compared to recent races and I think we are looking reasonably competitive here.”
Teammate Nico Hulkenberg isn’t quite so sure where they stand in the competitive pecking order but remains confident of a decent result in qualifying after today’s running.
“You certainly felt the heat today and the car was quite loose and difficult to drive at times. Apart from that it was business as usual – doing the long runs and getting the tyre data. We also had an extra set of the 2013 tyres available this morning so it was interesting to get a taste for them and do a direct comparison with this year’s tyres. It’s difficult to judge where we stand at the moment, but we have all the information we need, so it’s just a case of trying to understand things more tonight to be ready for tomorrow.”