On both occasions Di Resta outqualified his experienced and highly-rated team-mate Adrian Sutil despite sitting out the weekend’s first free practice session, with reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg instead doing the honours.

In Shanghai this weekend, however, it is Sutil who will take a back seat in FP1, and Di Resta is determined to make the most of the full complement of track time.

“Hopefully I can work away and get up to speed a bit quicker, in particular understanding the changes we make from session one to session two leading into Saturday,” said Di Resta, who celebrates his 25th birthday on the eve of Sunday’s race.

“That’s the bit I’ve not had this year. I’ve gone from FP2 into FP3 with the car I’m going to qualify with.

“That’s meant I’ve gone in with something unknown and been changed, and it’s not necessarily worked.”

However, his strong drive to 10th last time out, when he beat Sutil by 10 seconds at the flag and also finished ahead of Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes, indicates he is more than capable of wringing the maximum from his set-up time.

“Considering I missed FP1 in Malaysia it was not too bad a weekend,” he continued.

“Hopefully in China when I do a whole weekend it will improve again, although I’ll only be able to judge that after the sessions and qualifying.

“It’s certainly not a negative because China is more technical than Malaysia, and it is quite a key track, with a lot of long corners.”

Di Resta’s only previous experience of the Shanghai International Circuit came as Force India’s Friday morning driver last year, so he is eyeing a head start from what he has already learned.

“I’ve a bit of an idea of the track, so hopefully I can get going a bit quicker,” he said.

“I am looking forward to the race in China. It is quite a technical track and one that I am keen to experience more as I had a small taste of it last year.”