Formula 1: Paul Di Resta bids for a scoring final race

The 26-year-old from Bathgate is eager to finish his season with a point-scoring result for Sahara Force India.

“Overall, it’s been a good season for me,” explained Di Resta, whose best finish was fourth in Singapore. “After 19 of the 20 grands prix, I’ve scored 46 world championship points, 19 more than last season, but it could easily have been much more.

“We were unfortunate not to score last weekend in Texas, but I feel the circuit in Brazil will be better-suited to my car, and with rain forecast, anything might happen.

“The main thing for me though is to finish the season strongly and head into the winter break confident.”

Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso are each eyeing their third World Championship. Only 13 points separates them, and while Vettel will start as favourite, he knows there are growing concerns over his Red Bull’s unreliability.

In a bid to cure an on-going alternator problem, engine-supplier Renault has switched Red Bull on to its newest specification of alternator for the championship decider.

Vettel, whose team have won the last three races at the Interlagos track, admitted he was open-minded about what would happen this weekend.

“It is sport and anything can happen,” said Vettel, who needs only to finish in the top four to lift his third successive title.

“Historically we have been very quick here, but we know it is a place where lots of things can happen.”

Alonso believes he has nothing to lose as he heads into the thrilling finale, and accepts the fate of championship is not in his control.

“It is not in our hands, we have not much to lose,” the Ferrari ace said. “The only possibility is to win something. If he wins, fine. We try again next year.

“The first priority is to be on the podium, which gives us possibility to score more than 13 points, and then we need to wait for the result from Red Bull.

“We are arriving in second position and have been qualifying seventh in the last few grands prix so to recover 13 points is quite difficult.

“If something normal happens we finish second. If something special happens then we win. It is not in our hands really so the pressure is much less. We have nothing to lose.”