Force India has retained German Adrian Sutil for the 2011 Formula One season but has left out Vitantonio Liuzzi.
The Italian was replaced by last year’s test driver Paul di Resta.
The Vijay Mallya-owned outfit also announced Nico Hulkenberg, who impressed during his time at Williams in 2010, as their test driver on Wednesday.
“I am genuinely excited by the drivers we will be fielding in 2011. I believe that the combination of talent we’ve assembled gives us one of the strongest line-ups on the grid. Adrian has matured into one of F1’s most consistent and highly-rated young drivers, while Paul is, I believe, a real star of the future. With Nico, signing him was too good an opportunity to let by. He showed a good racing head and talent and I was amazed by his control in Brazil last year,” said Mallya in a statement.
For 24-year-old Di Resta, who last year combined his F1 testing duties with clinching the DTM (German touring car) title, the promotion was expected, especially, after Liuzzi failed to impress in 2010, finishing with just 21 points compared to 47 garnered by Sutil.
It is also rumoured that his close association with Mercedes, who have been grooming him, did work in his favour. Force India and Mercedes have a technical tie-up. “Naturally I am thrilled to be making my race debut this season. Becoming an F1 driver has been a long-held ambition of mine, something I've wanted to do since I first stepped into a kart, and to finally realise it feels amazing,” said Di Resta.
With 23-year-old Hulkenberg as the test driver, the pressure will be on Sutil and Di Resta to perform. The German finished 14th in the championship last season with 22 points in his kitty but was replaced by Williams with Venezuela’s Pastor Maldonado, who brought in the much-needed finance for the Grove-based team.
The Italian was replaced by last year’s test driver Paul di Resta.
The Vijay Mallya-owned outfit also announced Nico Hulkenberg, who impressed during his time at Williams in 2010, as their test driver on Wednesday.
“I am genuinely excited by the drivers we will be fielding in 2011. I believe that the combination of talent we’ve assembled gives us one of the strongest line-ups on the grid. Adrian has matured into one of F1’s most consistent and highly-rated young drivers, while Paul is, I believe, a real star of the future. With Nico, signing him was too good an opportunity to let by. He showed a good racing head and talent and I was amazed by his control in Brazil last year,” said Mallya in a statement.
For 24-year-old Di Resta, who last year combined his F1 testing duties with clinching the DTM (German touring car) title, the promotion was expected, especially, after Liuzzi failed to impress in 2010, finishing with just 21 points compared to 47 garnered by Sutil.
It is also rumoured that his close association with Mercedes, who have been grooming him, did work in his favour. Force India and Mercedes have a technical tie-up. “Naturally I am thrilled to be making my race debut this season. Becoming an F1 driver has been a long-held ambition of mine, something I've wanted to do since I first stepped into a kart, and to finally realise it feels amazing,” said Di Resta.
With 23-year-old Hulkenberg as the test driver, the pressure will be on Sutil and Di Resta to perform. The German finished 14th in the championship last season with 22 points in his kitty but was replaced by Williams with Venezuela’s Pastor Maldonado, who brought in the much-needed finance for the Grove-based team.
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