Force India driver Paul di Resta believes that the VJM06 chassis will be well-suited to the high air and track temperatures expected in Malaysia this weekend, with the Scot optimistic that the team can improve on its impressive result in Melbourne.
A seventh and eighth-place result at Albert Park represented the Silverstone-based squad’s best-ever start to a season, and with both drivers having set their sights on a podium finish in 2013, di Resta is confident that the performance was not a one-off.
"I think our car is going to suit the warm weather," di Resta explained. "We’ve had a reasonably strong performance for the last couple of years in Malaysia, so I think we should go there feeling quite optimistic.
"We’ve got some things we need to pick up on and we can definitely make some improvements, but we’re in a good place to start the season. Also, we’ve seen already that we can make a stop less than some of our competitors so let's see if that remains the case in Malaysia."
When asked for his opinion on the Hermann Tilke-designed circuit, the former DTM Champion admitted that Sepang was one of his favourites on the calendar.
"I think it is one of the most complete tracks of the season," he added. "It was the very first of the new generation tracks and it has nice flowing sections, some slow bits, as well as high-speed chicanes. Along with Shanghai, it’s one of the tracks I enjoy."
In contrast, team-mate Adrian Sutil, who led the season-opener in Australia on a number of occasions with his unique strategy, was a little more cautious about the team's chances this weekend.
"I don’t really know what effect the high temperatures will have as we haven’t had them in testing," he said. "It’s not my favourite track, but it depends on the car.
"If the car is quick and stable, you enjoy it more, but sometimes you really struggle with the balance, and then it's a real challenge – you need a lot of aerodynamic grip. I think the weather in Australia suited us quite well, so let’s see how Malaysia is."
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