19th September 2005

Manor Motorsport’s teenage Formula 3 Euroseries sensation Paul Di Resta (Bathgate, West Lothian) was on cloud nine at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz on Sunday, having qualified on pole position and taking second place in round 17.

However, the 18-year-old’s delight at the German venue was short-lived after championship officials excluded him from the race results due a technical infringement concerning the fuel level in his car.

The ruling, however, meant Di Resta’s Manor team-mate Lucas Tucci Di Grassi (Sao Paulo) found himself promoted into third position, and an unexpected podium, while the 2004 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner was left firmly in the doldrums.

Newly-crowned F3 Euroseries Champion Lewis Hamilton got a better start to the race than Di Resta, which proved to be the difference on track with the Manor driver holding second position for the entire race. However, it was all for nothing following the judicial decision.

In Saturday’s race, Di Resta retired while Di Grassi achieved an eighth place finish – combined with his podium result, the Brazilian has consolidated his third position in the driver standings. Di Resta, meanwhile, is 10th overall in his maiden season.

All in all, aside from the technicality, there were many positives for Manor to take out of the weekend with both Di Resta and Di Grassi showing impressive pace – the former showing strongest of the two drivers with very quick times in free practice and then again in qualifying for Sunday’s race.

The whole team now regroups ahead of rounds 19 and 20 of the season, the final meeting of the 2005 championship, which take place at Hockenheim in Germany on Saturday, 22nd October, and Sunday, 23rd October.