Di Resta, Hulkenberg to race for Sahara Force India

Britain's Paul di Resta and Germany's Nico Hulkenberg will race for Sahara Force India next season, the Formula One team said on Friday.

Hulkenberg will replace compatriot Adrian Sutil at the Silverstone-based team.

Paul continues with the team for his second season in a race seat, while Nico steps up from his role as reserve driver.

Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director, expressed delighted with his line-up for the 2012 season.

"In Paul and Nico we have two extremely talented drivers with tremendous potential. I think Paul caught the eye of everybody in the pit lane during his rookie season. His speed, maturity and racecraft confirmed that we were right to believe in him and we look forward to working with him again next year." he said.

Speaking about Nico, he said, "We identified him as a rising star at the end of 2010 and chose to evaluate him during the course of this season. Despite having only limited time in the car, he convinced us that he deserved a race seat for 2012.

"Our new line-up means we say goodbye to Adrian Sutil, who has been with the team since we entered the sport. He has been an integral part of our success over the past four seasons and we wish him well for the future.

Di Resta said he is looking forward to his second season in Formula One, and will continue to grow and develop with Sahara Force India.

"I've said all along that I love being part of this team: they are ambitious, hungry for success and we work well together. I'm really excited about 2012 and there is a real sense of belief that we can continue to push the top teams and take another step forward.

"I'd also like to thank the team for all their hard work this year and for all the support they've given me. I'll take some time out over the next few weeks to recharge my batteries and hopefully come back even stronger in 2012," he added.

Hulkenberg said he is delighted "to be staying with Sahara Force India and given the chance to race next year".

"It wasn't easy to watch from the sidelines this season, but I did my best to help the team and show what I was capable of. I'm extremely motivated for 2012 and would like to thank everyone for believing in me and giving me this chance.

"I'm keen to get down to work over the winter to develop our new car and help the team build on this year's achievements. The first test in Jerez can't come soon enough."