Di Resta earns four points for Force India

Monza, Sep 9 - Sahara Force India driver Paul di Resta finished eighth in the Italian Grand Prix here to bring home four points for the team Sunday.

Teammate Nico Hulkenberg had to retire three laps from the finish. However, he was still classified 21st as he finished more than 90 percent of the race.

The team are still seventh in the constructor’s championship with 63 points behind sixth placed Sauber with 100 points. Di Resta and Hulkenberg are 13th and 14th in the driver’s championship with 32 and 31 points respectively.

Di Resta had qualified fourth Saturday but dropped five places on the grid for an unscheduled gearbox change.

Throughout the race the British driver competed against the likes of Mercedes, Toro Rosso and Lotus. He, importantly, stayed ahead of championship contenders’ Williams drivers.

Though he could not finish the race, Hulkenberg drove well. He started the race last in 24th as he could not set a time in the first qualifying Saturday session due to a fuel pressure issue.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won the race from pole position and was joined on the podium by Sauber’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari‘s Fernando Alonso.