Paul di Resta: 'I’ve learned from my mistakes'

Williams reserve driver Paul di Resta is fighting for a full-time seat with the Grove-based outfit for 2018 and he believes he can "put right" mistakes from the past.

Williams is rumored to have narrowed down its list of prospective drivers for next season to three names: Felipe Massa, Robert Kubica and Paul di Resta.

The Brazilian, who went through a revolving door last year after initially announcing his retirement, may well be forced to call it a day as Williams seeks younger, more incisive talent.

Kubica's attempts at a sensational comeback still holds more questions than answers for a team which has shown a keen interest in the Pole but perhaps not the temerity his hiring would require.

His run in this summer's Hungarian GP undoubtedly demonstrated di Resta's ability to do the job, which is why the Scot has been short-listed and is doing all he can to secure Williams' plum drive.

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"They know me well enough now. I’ve been here over a year and a half," di Resta told Autosport.

"I’ve very actively tried to get as involved as I can here, as I will continue to do. As time goes on I’ve made it very clear what a dream it would be to get in the car.

"I’m racing DTM alongside what I’m doing, but being here and under people’s faces is obviously the biggest thing."

With 59 races under his belt - 58 of which were run with Force India - di Resta has a proven track record, at least in terms of experience, and he now wants to put that knowledge and expertise to good use once again.

"I’ve learned from my mistakes in the past, and I can try and put it to rights.

"It’s a bit of a waiting game. I’m actively trying to do as much as I can to try and put myself in contention for it, because it is there, and it’s an important time for the team as well.

"It would be wrong to say I lost my appetite for it. The longer [not racing in F1] went on, the more difficult it was becoming.

The Scot was called in at the hour, quite literally, to replace a sick Massa in Hungary. A technical problem put a premature end to his efforts in the race but he had acquitted himself well up to then.

"It proved to myself that I can certainly still do the job, although you always believed it.

"And maybe it showed the outside world a bit more that given the opportunity again, that was only a sniff of what you can do, given a proper chance."

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