PAUL DI RESTA is relishing the prospect of again going head to head with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel after finally securing his place in Formula One.

Di Resta will join world champions Hamilton and Vettel on the grid for the new campaign as Force India have put their faith in the 24- yearold Scot.

After taking part in eight Friday morning practice sessions last year Di Resta has replaced Vitantonio Liuzzi, who is rumoured to be joining Hispania providing he can find the money required.

For Di Resta, who last year combined his F1 duties with clinching the DTM (German touring car) title, it is the culmination of a long journey that began when he was three-years-old in karting.

It was during those formative years that Di Resta first competed against Hamilton from the age of eight and Vettel when he was 13.

Di Resta and Vettel have remained good friends since, to such an extent Vettel sent Di Resta a video message congratulating him on his DTM triumph last year at a time when he was still celebrating his own F1 success.

Although it has taken Di Resta a few years longer to get into F1, he said: ‘‘I wouldn’t say I was frustrated, but looking at it they were luckier than me.

“They had different backing and it got them to where they wanted to go that bit quicker. They had it a bit easier than I did.

“But I’ve got there. Okay they’ve won world championships, but I’ve achieved what I wanted to achieve.

“It was four good years of my life in touring cars, years I’ll look back on and say I definitely enjoyed them. I don’t regret it now.

“You can always think someone has something better than you or done something better, but hopefully in the future I can beat them.”