Di Resta to be F1 reserve for McLaren

Former F1 driver Paul di Resta would be on standby this weekend as McLaren’s reserve for the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone after having a seat fitting on Wednesday, the British team said.

Under Covid-19 protocols, the 34-year-old Scot will not be in close contact with the race team unless needed as a replacement for Lando Norris or Carlos Sainz.

He will otherwise continue his analyst duties with Sky Sports television.

McLaren have an agreement with Mercedes to share the reigning champions’ reserves but Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, who previously raced for the Woking-based team, is competing in the all-electric Formula E series in Berlin.

Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, the other backup who last competed in Formula One in 2016, lacks a valid super-licence.

“There is a new rule this year that says if you haven’t raced in a Formula One car, in an official event, for the last three years, you need to have done a test for at least 300km,” Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said.

Di Resta last raced in Formula One for Williams as a stand-in for Brazilian Felipe Massa at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July 2017. —