Di Resta adamant he didn't jump Brands Hatch start
R-Motorsport Aston Martin driver Paul di Resta insists he did nothing wrong at the start of the opening DTM race at Brands Hatch after being handed a jump-start penalty.

After qualifying a strong fourth in mixed conditions at the Kent venue, ex-Formula 1 driver di Resta leapt into the lead as the pack entered Paddock Hill Bend for the first time.
However, the Scot was soon under investigation for his getaway, and in the end was handed a five-second pitstop penalty, which he served when he pitted on lap 16 of 42.
Di Resta was on course for a points finish before his Vantage DTM suffered a loss of power in the closing stages, and post-race he was adamant his start was not illegal.
"They need to look at the past and what was acceptable and not acceptable," di Resta told Motorsport.com. "I think the reality is everyone else around me got a bad start.
"Have a look at the past 15 years. If they throw that out, then every single start of every single person in the last 15 years should be thrown out."
Despite the penalty, di Resta was nonetheless satisfied to be able to lead the R-Motorsport squad's first laps since the start of its DTM project.
"It was good, we had decent pace," he said. "We were flattered by the changeable conditions in qualifying, got ourselves in a good position. Nice to lead the first laps here with Aston Martin and until that point the race was going well.
"We had another technical issue in the background which we discovered at the end of the race, which is why we lacked a bit of performance, but it’s all the result of a two-day event. There’s no time to see those things, we just go straight into qualifying."
Polesitter Marco Wittmann, who went on to win the race for BMW by just 0.3 seconds ahead of Audi's Rene Rast, said he was pleased to see Aston Martin fighting its more established rival brands at its home race.
"I have to say, for DTM, I felt happy that Aston Martin was leading a race," said Wittmann. "They did well, we were slightly quicker but he [di Resta] kept the lead.
"They already showed they have improved their performance, they were quite up in front despite the tricky conditions in qualifying, so they are coming closer step-by-step. At the end I think it was good for DTM to see."

Previous article
Brands Hatch DTM: Wittmann fends off Rast to win
Next article
Brands Hatch DTM: Rast on pole, Audi locks out top eight

About this article
Series | DTM |
Event | Brands Hatch |
Drivers | Paul di Resta |
Teams | R-Motorsport |
Author | Jamie Klein |
Di Resta adamant he didn't jump Brands Hatch start
Trending
WRT Team Audi Sport – 2020 DTM Season Review
DTM 2020: Audi bids farewell
DTM: Hockenheim - Race 2 Highlights
DTM 2020: Race 1 highlights – Hockenheim
DTM: Hockenheim - Race 1 Highlights
The slow-burner threatening to unseat Audi's DTM king
It's taken him a while to emerge as a consistent title challenger, but in the final year of DTM's Class One ruleset, Nico Muller has smoothed the rough edges and has double champion stablemate Rene Rast working harder than ever to keep up in the title race.
Does 2000 hold the answers to the DTM's current crisis?
It's 20 years since the DTM roared back into life at a packed Hockenheim with a back-to-basics approach as the antidote to its high-tech past. Now it's on its knees again, so is it time to recall the lessons learned in 2000?
Ranking the 10 best Audi DTM drivers
Audi last week announced it would be exiting the DTM at the end of 2020, bringing the curtain down on 20 years of continuous participation since the series' reboot in 2000.
Why the DTM must reinvent itself after Audi exit
Audi's announcement that it will withdraw from the DTM at the end of 2020 was the latest blow for a series that has lost three manufacturers in as many years. Some major soul-searching will now be required to assess how it can survive.
Why cynic Berger changed his mind over green tech in racing
DTM boss Gerhard Berger was a detractor of Formula E and held a reluctance for his series to embrace greener engine technologies. However, this cynic's tune has had to change to ensure DTM's existence as the motorsport world moves forward
What the fallout from Aston's engine split means for 2020
Aston Martin's DTM arrival, via the R-Motorsport outfit, was heralded as a salvation of sorts for the series. After plenty of bumps in the road in 2019, the team finds itself in a similar position to the one it was in 12 months ago. Can it get its act together?
How the DTM and Super GT can build on their experiment
The Class One 'Dream Race' staged by the DTM and SUPER GT proved a hit - from a competitive and collaborative standpoint. The next step will be for both parties to ensure a successful trial ends up being more than just that.
Robot pitcrews and hydrogen – is DTM's concept plausible?
DTM organiser ITR has mooted a radical plan for a "truly new and inspiring" future motorsport series. How realistic are its suggestions of automated pitstops and 1000bhp hydrogen-fuelled touring cars?