Paul di Resta, Force India’s reserve driver, has become the 2010 DTM champion after finishing second in the season finale of the prestigious German touring car series. And now, the Scottish driver hopes that this success will enhance his chances of securing a race seat in the next year’s Formula One Championship.

When Di Resta went into the Shanghai event, he was trailing series leader Bruno Spengler by three points. But the difficult conditions at the Chinese street circuit made Spengler make quite a few mistakes, while Di Resta maintained his poise and followed his Mercedes teammate Gary Paffett home, securing enough points to overhaul the Canadian.

After starting from the pole position, Di Resta was leading in the opening part of the race, but he slipped behind Paffett after a delay during the first pit stop. Paffett, who is also the 2005 DTM champion, led the rest of the race while Di Resta had to settle down for the second place, 3.7 seconds adrift, which was sufficient to earn his first title. Spengler finished 13th, more than 30 seconds behind Di Resta. Later Di Resta paid tribute to his friends and family with a special thanks to his father.

“This championship is great for me and the team, but it’s especially important to my family, my supporters and, most importantly, my dad,” he said. “He was the one who gave me the opportunity to go racing when I was a kid and if it hadn’t been for his commitment and belief, I wouldn’t be where I am today. At the end of the day he’s put way more effort into this than anyone else. So I’ve got to say a big thanks to him. This smile won’t be off my face for a long time. Fortunately, my flight is only booked for Monday. I would have liked for more family members to be here to celebrate with me. But now, I will celebrate with the team. Today, it was more about the title rather than victory in the race. That has worked out”

During the 2010 Formula One season, Di Resta has been one among the busiest test drivers, getting Friday outings at no less than eight Grands Prix with Force India. This, in turn, has raised speculations that the Force India team might consider him as the potential replacement for Adrian Sutil or Vitantonio Liuzzi next season.