Paul di Resta says that he is gambling on a drier British Grand Prix after the Silverstone washout extended into Saturday's qualifying session.
Scot wants drier conditions for race day
Paul di Resta says that he is gambling on a drier British Grand Prix after the Silverstone washout extended into Saturday's qualifying session.
Heavy rain hit just as cars took to the track, with the conditions such that the session was eventually halted for an hour-and-a-half.
However, it was not one di Resta and Force India had been anticipating.
Instead, they opted for a set-up more in tune with the sort of changeable conditions which helped di Resta qualify sixth for last year's race.
The Scot described the team's local track as "not one of our strongest places" but he qualified 11th nonetheless.
However with his car now in parc ferme, di Resta is hoping that Sunday's weather does not pack the same punch.
"The conditions the way they are, we're not in a bad position. I think we just got caught out with the weather, we were stuck in a window where we couldn't really balance the car with what we wanted to do," he explained.
"We gambled more on it being a showery qualifying session, but more likely to be dry. That wasn't what came through. Not that intensity - you never thought it would be a show-stopper.
"All I'm saying is that we're crossing our fingers for dry tomorrow, certainly for most of the race.
"We were probably more competitive in the conditions when it was inters and not extremes. Whether we'd have been further up I don't know."
Di Resta almost made the final session but was knocked out by a last-gasp flying lap from eventual polesitter Fernando Alonso.
Alonso's time came in spite of yellow flags displayed after Romain Grosjean had beached his Lotus in the gravel at Vale corner.
Although di Resta initially questioned whether Alonso had slowed sufficiently, he later admitted the conditions made for a tough judgement call.
"I can't see what happened, it's up to the FIA. Obviously under yellow, you shouldn't go quicker. I don't think they've done quicker sectors but how much should you back off?" he asked.
"I'm not disappointed where we're starting tomorrow."
