Murray Walker tips di Resta for Mercedes seat

Paul di Resta

Former commentator and broadcaster Murray Walker has been highly impressed by rookie Paul di Resta over the first three races of 2011 and now predicts a Mercedes Grand Prix drive for the Scot.

25-year-old Di Resta, who hails from Uphall in West Lothian, made the full-time switch to Formula 1 this year after racing to the DTM title with Mercedes-Benz in 2010.

“Paul di Resta has to be my number one of the newcomers, indeed I think everybody’s number one of the newcomers, because he’s done brilliantly with Force India," Walker said in a video feature on the BBC Sport website.

“Points in both of his first two races, he finished 11th and just out of the points in China and he’s beaten his very quick team-mate Adrian Sutil.

“He’s very much a man of future, in my opinion, and one of the big teams is going to be signing him up before very much longer – maybe Mercedes."

Following the first trio of ‘flyaway’ events, it is also widely known that di Resta has received much praise from Norbert Haug, Vice President for Motorsport at Mercedes.