Force India’s Paul Di Resta is in danger of being the man who misses out on a 2014 race seat as the tempo quickens in Formula One’s game of musical chairs.
The Scot wants to stay for a fourth season, but with more drivers than places available and talk of others already being lined up for his job, he does not sound overly confident about his prospects.
“I have no idea. I need everybody’s help if I can get it,” Di Resta said after finishing 11th in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix. “I’ve done what’s asked of me when the car is under me and who knows? I’ll be in competitive racing ... but remaining part of Formula One has to be my ultimate goal.”
Di Resta, a cousin of three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, said he would be open to a switch to Indy Cars and the Ganassi seat vacated on medical grounds by Franchitti, a fellow Scot.
Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg, Di Resta’s teammate at Force India last year before moving to Sauber, has been tipped for a return to the Silverstone-based outfit, reportedly with an agreement already in place.
The indications are Mexican Sergio Perez will be joining him there.
Perez, whose place at McLaren is being handed to Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen, 21, signed off on Sunday with a sixth-place finish among the 19 cars on the starting grid and warm words from principal Martin Whitmarsh. Asked about the Mexican’s prospects of ending up at Force India, Whitmarsh indicated a deal was close.
“We have done what we can to help out getting him in there and he deserves to be in F1,” he said, expressing sympathy for Di Resta.
“It’s a complicated sport these days and there are drivers with less talent than Paul who will be in the sport, either entering the sport or remaining in the sport. That’s sad.”
“It hasn’t been announced yet, but I think it’s been fairly well speculated that is what is likely to happen,” he said of Di Resta being replaced.
Perez sounded optimistic about finding a job with Force India.
“It’s not confirmed yet,” he said. “Obviously it is one of the options, but there are also other options out there. I hope in the next few days we are going to have some news.”
Well-funded Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado is seen as the man who will stop the music and trigger a dash for seats once he has decided whether to opt for Lotus or Sauber. Until then, everyone else must wait.
Lotus have enjoyed a winning car this season, but with financial difficulties, there are no guarantees of that continuing next season when the regulations undergo dramatic change with a new V6 turbocharged engine being introduced.
Maldonado, whose place at Williams has been taken by Ferrari’s Brazilian Felipe Massa, told autosport.com he was close to a decision.
“We have been working very hard since many months ago and now we are just waiting for confirmation – all the stuff that you need to do with contracts,” he said. “But until you sign, you never know.”
Lotus are sure to retain Frenchman Romain Grosjean, while Force India’s Adrian Sutil has been linked to Sauber if he does not stay at his current team.
sports@thenational.ae
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE FIXTURES
October 18 – 7.30pm, UAE v Oman, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 19 – 7.30pm, UAE v Ireland, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 21 – 2.10pm, UAE v Hong Kong, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 22 – 2.10pm, UAE v Jersey, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 24 – 10am, UAE v Nigeria, Abu Dhabi Cricket Oval 1
October 27 – 7.30pm, UAE v Canada, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 29 – 2.10pm, Playoff 1 – A2 v B3; 7.30pm, Playoff 2 – A3 v B2, at Dubai International Stadium.
October 30 – 2.10pm, Playoff 3 – A4 v Loser of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Playoff 4 – B4 v Loser of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 1 – 2.10pm, Semifinal 1 – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Semifinal 2 – A1 v Winner of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 2 – 2.10pm, Third place Playoff – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Final, at Dubai International Stadium
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
More on animal trafficking
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
