Paul Di Resta has described the back-of-the-grid penalty he received for being underweight ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix as “cruel”.
Silverstone-based Force India driver Di Resta produced what he feels was the best lap of his life during Saturday’s qualifying session which resulted in him claiming fifth.
But during post-qualifying scrutineering, Di Resta - in conjunction with his Force India car - was discovered to be 1.5kgs below minimum weight, resulting in him being dumped to last place for the start.
Although Di Resta refused to divulge too many details as to what transpired, he told Press Association Sport: “I thought it was a great lap, I was committed, and the reward would have been the same (even if the weight had been correct).
“It was so marginal, but a decision was taken and we had to accept it.
“It was cruel, but that’s motor racing, and I’m not going to speak out of turn about it.
“We’ll go away satisfied with what we did in qualifying because that is probably the best lap I’ve ever driven in a qualifying session.”
Asked whether he was confident there would be no repeat of the weight problem going forward, Di Resta added: “The weight issue was fine for the race. Nothing was changed.”
That was reference to the fact he was allowed to start from the grid, because in accordance with the regulations, 1.5kgs of ballast should have been added and he should have started from the pit lane.
Team principal Vijay Mallya remains mystified by the events as he said: “We just cannot understand it. We were as surprised as everybody else.
“This is the first time this has ever happened to us, with a car and driver underweight.
“There was absolutely no question of us doing anything deliberate or cutting corners to a point where it was a violation of the rules.
“After FP3 we weighed the car, we weighed Paul, and everything was as predicted, and three hours later after qualifying we find him to be one and a half kilos lighter. There’s no explanation for it.
“Paul could have had a heavy lunch or drunk a lot of water and be heavier, but how he became lighter, even he doesn’t know.”
Despite starting at the rear, Di Resta produced another storming drive to eventually finish ninth - the seventh time in eight races this season the Scot has finished in the points.
“I had some good battles, and although we failed to optimise things, we’re satisfied,” added Di Resta.
“Points are always good for a team like us.
“It was another double points finish, and we’ll keep plugging away.
“Another couple of laps and I would have got by Adrian (team-mate Sutil) because our strategy was a little better at the end.”