Paul di Resta will aim to overhaul current points leader Timo Scheider to secure the DTM title as the 2008 season draws to a close this weekend at Hockenheim.

di Resta goes into the season finale two points behind Audi ace Scheider, but the Scot is also one of the form men in the series after a run that has seen him finish inside the top two in the previous four races – including a win in Barcelona.

The Mercedes man is also buoyed by his stunning performance last time out at Le Mans where he overcame a wrong strategy call to storm through the field and taken second behind Mattias Ekstrom, which allowed him to close in on Scheider in the points standings.

“One win and three second positions out of the previous four races and nine points more than the overall leader are a great motivation for this season's finale at Hockenheim,” he admitted. “I look forward to the many enthusiastic Mercedes-Benz employees and fans who will be sitting on the grandstand and I will give it my all to fulfill their hopes. The successes of the last races should help me.”

di Resta's strong end to the season has seen him linked with a possible move into F1 for 2009 and Norbert Haug, the head of Mercedes-Benz motorsport said he was hopeful of seeing his young start shine in the final race of the year.

“After two races, Paul Di Resta was already 13 points behind the top, now, eight races later, the margin is only two points,” he said. “His previous race in Le Mans was particularly strong and our C-Class should be fast at Hockenheim, we have won 14 out of the new DTM's 19 races at Hockenheimn - including last year's season finale - and Hockenheim has always been a traditional home race for us.

“Everybody in the team is looking forward to this Sunday's event.”