Paul di Resta: From Formula 1 to IMSA

‍Brief overview of Paul Di Resta’s career in motorsport

Paul di Resta is a Scottish endurance racing driver who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Peugeot and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with United Autosports. 

He began his racing career in karting before moving through Formula Renault and Formula 3, where he established himself as one of Britain’s top young drivers. In 2007, Di Resta switched to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters with Mercedes and quickly became a championship contender. 

His biggest success in the series came in 2010 when he won the DTM title, a result that helped him secure a move to Formula 1. From 2011 to 2013, he raced in Formula 1 with Force India and regularly scored points. In 2016, he became a reserve driver for Williams Racing, and in 2017, he briefly returned to Formula 1 while also serving as a reserve driver for McLaren. 

As of 2026, di Resta continues competing in top-level endurance racing with Peugeot while remaining a well-known figure in motorsport.

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Paul Di Resta’s age, family and early life

Paul di Resta was born on April 16, 1986, in Uphall to Marie and Louis Di Resta. He grew up in a motorsport-focused family, and his father was a successful go-kart racer who won the Scottish Formula Ford title four times. 

Di Resta began karting in 1994 at eight years old and competed in several karting championships until 2002. During those years, he developed his racing skills and became one of Britain’s promising young karting drivers. 

In 2003, he moved into single-seater racing before later building a successful career in Formula 1, DTM, and endurance racing. By 2018, he had also joined United Autosports as a part-time endurance driver.

How did Paul Di Resta get to IMSA?

Paul di Resta built his route to IMSA through karting, junior formula racing, Formula 1, and endurance racing. He began karting in 1994 and won the British JICA Championship in 2001. In 2002, he moved into single-seaters and competed in British Formula Renault before joining Manor Motorsport in 2004.

Di Resta later entered the Formula 3 Euro Series and won the championship in 2006 with ASM Formula 3. In 2007, he switched to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters with Mercedes and became DTM champion in 2010.

That same year, he secured a move to Formula 1 with Force India. He raced in Formula 1 from 2011 to 2013 before returning to Mercedes in DTM in 2014.

Later in his career, di Resta moved into endurance racing. In 2018, he joined United Autosports in the Asian Le Mans Series and won the 2018–19 LMP2 championship. He later progressed to the FIA World Endurance Championship and won the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2020.

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Notable moments and races in Paul Di Resta’s career

One of Paul di Resta’s most notable moments came in 2004 when he secured his first major breakthrough in British Formula Renault with Manor Motorsport. That same year, he also won the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, a key milestone in his early career development.

In 2006, he achieved another defining breakthrough by winning both the Formula 3 Euro Series Championship and the Masters of Formula 3 with ASM Formula 3. Later, in 2010, he won the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) championship with Mercedes.

Between 2018 and 2019, he also achieved major success in endurance racing by winning the Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 championship with United Autosports.

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Paul Di Resta height: How tall is Paul Di Resta?

Paul di Resta is 6 feet 1 inch tall.

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What is Paul Di Resta's net worth?

Paul di Resta’s net worth is estimated to be around $653,699.

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Paul Di Resta’s relationship status: Who is Paul Di Resta’s girlfriend?

Paul di Resta is married to Laura Jordan, and together they have two children.

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Photo Julien Delfosse / DPPI