Bahrain GP: Paul di Resta content despite podium blow

Paul di Resta will go into the Spanish Grand Prix with "high hopes" following his fourth-place finish in Bahrain.

The Scot missed out on a podium finish, overtaken by Romain Grosjean with six laps remaining.

Force India driver Di Resta said: "I could have been harder on Grosjean when he was passing, but what are you going to win out of it?

"I'll go to Barcelona with high hopes of scoring a few big points."

In a race won by Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, Di Resta said he will take plenty of positives for the next race in Barcelona.

"I'm not so sure it was our tyres that was the problem," said Di Resta.

"Grosjean had four new tyres for a three-stop strategy which would have been a route we'd have chosen had we had the tyres.

"We set ourselves a target of scoring points and you have to maximise what you can.

"I could have taken myself out of the Grand Prix, but looking at the big picture, it's all about the end of the year as a constructor and a driver."

There were other close on-track battles and plenty of overtaking, including a bad-tempered tussle between McLaren's Jenson Button and Sergio Perez, but Vettel's driving was a class above the rest.

Result:

1. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1hr 36min 00.498secs

2. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Lotus +00:09.111

3. Romain Grosjean (Fra) Lotus 00:19.507

4. Paul Di Resta (GB) Force India 00:21.727

5. Lewis Hamilton (GB) Mercedes 00:35.230

6. Sergio Perez (Mex) McLaren 00:35.998

7. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 00:37.244

8. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 00:37.574

9. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes 00:41.126

10. Jenson Button (GB) McLaren 00:46.631

11. Pastor Maldonado (Ven) Williams 01:06.450

12. Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Sauber 01:12.933

13. Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India 01:16.719

14. Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Williams 01:21.511

15. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari 01:26.364

16. Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Toro Rosso +1 lap

17. Charles Pic (Fra) Caterham 1 lap

18. Esteban Gutierrez (Mex) Sauber 1 lap

19. Jules Bianchi (Fra) Marussia 1 lap

20. Max Chilton (GB) Marussia 1 lap

21. Giedo van der Garde (Ned) Caterham 2 laps

retd Jean-Eric Vergne (Fra) Toro Rosso 41 laps