Paul di Resta not downbeat over being denied his maiden F1 podium in Bahrain

Paul di Resta shrugged off any disappointment at narrowly missing out on a maiden Formula 1 podium finish to focus on the positives of what he hailed as a "big day" for Force India at Sakhir.

Mallya was naturally quick to praise his driver's performance in the face of strong competition, even if he expressed slight regret that they hadn't been able to hang on to what would have been just the second podium finish of his tenure. "Paul drove an outstanding race," the Force India co-owner declared. "I'm very glad we have been able to beat the big teams - it's not always that you can beat the McLarens, the Mercedes and the Ferraris - but we've shown with the resources we have we can improve year on year. "We've had a flying start during this season, 26 points from four races and not scoring in Malaysia, and so, yes, fourth position was a great position today. "But I was hoping and praying we would actually get the podium."