• Indian Grand Prix - Qualifying

Di Resta 'over the worst' of stomach bug

ESPN Staff
October 26, 2013 « Qualifying strategy 'hurts' - Button | Vettel praises 'phenomenal' Red Bull »
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Paul di Resta is still recovering from his upset stomach heading into Sunday's Indian Grand Prix, but despite his off-track struggles he is hoping for his first points finish in eight races.

Di Resta had to sit out of first practice in India after battling with a stomach bug in the week leading up to the race. The illness will not stop him racing but he said, at times, it had been far from ideal this weekend.

"I'm over the worst of it but I still don't have an appetite," di Resta said. "It's just getting your stomach back to eating food and getting the nutrition - it kind of puts you off food for a while. But it's all staying in there which is the important thing. It's just choosing what you want to eat."

The Force India driver qualified 12th on Saturday and is confident of scoring points if he and his team get their tyre strategy right on Sunday.

"It's going to be one of those races where there is quite a big difference between strategies. You could almost say a gamble, I don't think there is any right way or wrong way at the moment. It purely depends on traffic and how they are going to last. They are working a little bit differently today to how they were working yesterday. So how much information you actually carry on through was quite hard.

"If you get it right there's a good chance of points. If we'd got it right in Suzuka there would have been too. Obviously [Romain] Grosjean is out of position [in 17th] and I'm sure he will be charging through, but it doesn't mean to say we can't go through some of the field ourselves. Something very simple can be the difference and also how your car is on tyres. Any race when it has come down to that we've been on the healthier side, whether that's the same tomorrow I don't know."

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