• Malaysian Grand Prix

Di Resta admits lucking in to seventh

Paul di Resta finished seventh and Nico Hulkenberg ninth as Force India was the only team to score a double points finish © Getty Images

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• Report:
• Alonso holds off Perez in enthralling race
  

• Race:
• Malaysian Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Paul di Resta
• |
• Nico Hülkenberg

• Teams:
• Racing Point

Paul di Resta admitted that he was "a bit lucky" to finish in seventh place in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

In a rain-affected race Felipe Massa and Nico Rosberg struggled with strategy while Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher were both affected by contact with other cars. As Romain Grosjean retired and Sebastian Vettel had a puncture late in the race di Resta admitted the failings of other cars that could have been ahead of Force India helped boost his final finishing position.

"The start of the race was a bit of a mess and it was all about trying to stay on the track and stay out of trouble," di Resta said. "I did pretty well until Maldonado hit me just before the red flag, which spun me around and cost me about three places. At the restart our pace was very good on the intermediate tyres and we were able to get well up the order and stay with the leading group.

"As it dried out we switched to dry tyres at the same time everyone else did, which was the safe way to play it, and just tried to hold position in the points. We were a bit lucky with some of the issues for cars ahead, but in races like this you need a bit of luck and given where we started I think we can come away from here very happy with this result."

Di Resta's team-mate Nico Hulkenberg also picked up points in ninth and he said he was pleased to see the flag in conditions he described as "some of the worst I've raced in".

"I think today's performance with two cars in the points is a great team result and I'm very happy to pick up my first points of the season," Hulkenberg said. "It was quite a complicated race and the rain certainly helped mix things up, but we made the most of our chances and made good calls on the strategy. I have to say that the wet conditions today were some of the worst I've raced in and the visibility was almost zero before the race was stopped. It was much better when the race restarted, but I struggled with the balance of the car on the intermediates, so it was just a case of trying to stay in the points and catch Vergne ahead."

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