BTCC 2012 News (come on Rob - put Keira down for a minute and do your job :-P)

[Rob]

Plato predicts tricky Silverstone
Jason Plato believes that taking big points out of his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title rivals at Silverstone next weekend (6/7 October) will be tricky.

Oxford’s Plato will go into his home event in his KX Momentum Racing MG6 with some 30 points or more to make up if he’s to draw level with Honda duo Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal who lead the way. Success at Silverstone is all the more crucial as it will surely have a big say in the outcome of the title race at Brands Hatch a fortnight later (20/21 Oct).

There’ll be a possible maximum of 67 up for grabs at Silverstone but, while many reckon the Hondas could struggle along Silverstone’s long straights, Plato insists that is no guarantee of being able to move straight in on them.

Plato, who last weekend extended his BTCC race wins record to 72 and is now hunting the third crown of his illustrious career, told btcc.net: “I think Silverstone will be good for us. The only problem will be how quick the Fords and the S2000-spec cars like the BMWs and Vauxhalls are in a straight line – ideally I’d like to put them between me and the Hondas but it’s going to be hard staying ahead of them.

“We’ve got to score a lot of points as fast as we can. If the title is on it’s on and if it’s not then it’s not. I certainly think the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit is going to be great for us, particularly if it’s dry. Wow, we are going to be very strong there.”

Plato is also wary of just how many points have slipped through his fingers in 2012, chiefly thanks to a mixture of mechanical problems.

He added: “You can’t get over the fact of how many non-finishes we’ve had this year. Had we not had a suspension failure on the grid at Oulton Park where we should have started from pole position then we would have won that race which would have meant a much better result in the second race.

“I was on the front row of the grid at Croft and couldn’t start because of an electrical failure which also came back in another race that day. Obviously I was fired off into the barriers at Knockhill and then had more mechanical problems in the second and third races. It’s always very difficult to win a championship like that…”

Meanwhile team-mate Andy Neate from nearby Aylesbury will be hoping to continue the turn of speed he showed at Rockingham and provide Plato with what could be invaluable support at Silverstone.

Neate said: “Silverstone always means a lot to me and not just because it’s my home event. I had my first proper test in a racing car there in 1996 and have generally had strong results there.

“I came away from Rockingham disappointed. I’d had an opportunity to take some points off Matt Neal in that first race and it didn’t work out. I know personally I need to be up there.”

[Rob]

Griffin & Wood to return
Liam Griffin and Lea Wood will both return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship grid in next weekend’s Silverstone round (6/7 October).

Hertfordshire’s Griffin has not raced since suffering a dramatic crash at Croft in mid-June (pictured) when his Redstone Racing Ford Focus caught fire following a collision with Wood’s BINZ Racing Vauxhall Vectra.

Hereford’s Wood has continued to compete but was forced to miss Rockingham’s most recent round last weekend.

Both, though, have confirmed they will be back at Silverstone’s penultimate round next weekend.

Wood told btcc.net: “I can’t wait. I hated missing Rockingham but I think we can come back strongly at Silverstone and I’m definitely aiming to carry on where we left and challenge for top ten race results.

"The top ten in the championship might be a long shot now but I won't give up on that until it's impossible."

[Rob]

Brands debut for Williamson
Aaron Williamson will become the latest young charge to get his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car break with Team HARD. when he makes his debut with the squad in the championship's season finale at Brands Hatch.

The 20-year-old from Spalding, Lincolnshire will be a familiar name among the BTCC crowds after three years racing at the sharp end in the Ginetta Junior and GT Supercup championships plus 2012's Renault Clio Cup.

After fellow youngster Howard Fuller’s impressive maiden outing at Rockingham in Team HARD.’s Honda Civic, Williamson is eager for a taste of the BTCC big time.

“Howard did very well and it just shows the S2000-spec Civic is still competitive and that Team HARD. are doing a good job with it,” Williamson told btcc.net.

“I’m not going to Brands to get in the way of the drivers fighting for the championship, but I’m certainly aiming for a top ten result or two. Above all it’ll give me a chance to expose my sponsors to what the BTCC is all about as it’s something I aspire to. I’ve got myself a very good car and a team I’m also very comfortable with for my debut.”

Williamson will become the third different driver in the season’s second half to race for Tony Gilham’s Dartford-based outfit – Gilham himself drove it earlier in the year.

Gilham said: “Aaron is the latest young talent we are looking to bring through. He’s been on the BTCC package in the support races for over four years and we believe he will fit the type of driver we want in our car…”

[Rob]

Neal predicts "bloody affair"
Matt Neal reckons Silverstone’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship round this weekend could be “a very bloody affair” for his Honda team.

Reigning Champion Neal will continue to race in pain from a broken hand he suffered in a motorbike crash four weeks ago. He competed 11 days ago at Rockingham despite the injury, although he has lost the championship lead to team-mate Gordon Shedden arriving at Silverstone.

There are just three points between them with MG rival Jason Plato chasing them in third, albeit some 30 or so adrift.

But Worcestershire’s Neal told btcc.net: “The hand is still not brilliant – it’s still very painful. On paper Silverstone should make life easier as there are fewer corners but, on paper, this our bogey circuit.

“We’ve just not had the straightline speed of the others and this is a circuit full of long straights. It could be a very bloody affair for us.”

Neal also fears that Plato will be a lot closer to him and Shedden leaving Silverstone for the title-deciding final round at Brands Hatch a fortnight later (20/21 October).

He added: “Jason doesn’t have the quickest car in a straight line either but it is still pretty decent and if he can qualify close to or on the front two rows of the grid then he will out-drive the others.

“He could be on for three podium results and even a win or two. He might even be leading it on Sunday night whereas we might be struggling to get into the top ten. I could be wrong, though…”

[Rob]

Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal fear tough BTCC Silverstone round
By Kevin Turner Thursday, October 4th 2012, 11:32 GMT


Honda British Touring Car drivers Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal do not believe they will be competitive at Silverstone this weekend.

Shedden and Neal are first and second in the drivers' table and have taken 12 wins from 24 races so far in 2012. Nearest rival Jason Plato is 32 points behind Shedden in his MG with six races left.

But that success has meant they have been kept on a lower turbo boost level than rivals, and Silverstone's simple National circuit tends to be horsepower-dominated.

Shedden, who leads Neal by three points, told AUTOSPORT: "Because Silverstone is only four corners it's not technically that much of a challenge so we could find ourselves not qualifying in the top 10.

"I think this will be the hardest weekend for us and I don't even think the wet would save us."

Neal, who clinched the title at the Northamptonshire circuit last season, added: "I don't think we'll even be in the race [at the front].

"In the wet it could be even worse because it's stop-start. At Rockingham there are some fast corners, but at Silverstone they're slow so you can't carry the speed."

Independents' championship leader Andrew Jordan, who also drives an NGTC Honda, is expecting a tough weekend against his rivals, many of whom race in older S2000 machinery.

His main title adversary, WSR's Rob Collard, drives an S2000 BMW, which has not been subjected to such extreme turbo restrictions this year.

"This weekend has got to be a damage limitation exercise for us," said Jordan, who confirmed the Eurotech squad had even considered running team-mate Jeff Smith's old S2000 Vauxhall Vectra because it is allowed more boost.

"I reckon the BMW will be quick and could win all the races.

"Copse is the only corner we'll be alright on - the others are slow so the weight [of the success ballast and the NGTC] and [lack of] power will hurt us on the exits."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103058

[Rob]

Harrison: Plato among the greats
Jason Plato truly ranks as one of the crack Triple Eight Race Engineering squad’s all-time British Touring Car greats, team boss Ian Harrison has said.

This season has seen Plato reunited with Harrison’s outfit with which he won the first of his two drivers’ titles to date in 2001 when it ran Vauxhall’s factory effort.

They have since led different lives in the pit lane – Triple Eight then went on to win another five drivers’ championships with legends such as James Thompson (2002 and 2004), Yvan Muller (2003) and Fabrizio Giovanardi (2007 and 2008), with Plato, after a two-year sabbatical, a constant thorn in their side with the RML-run SEAT team.

Sticking with RML he finally added a second crown in 2010 with Chevrolet machinery but for 2012, 11 years after that initial success, he and Triple Eight have found themselves thrust together once more with their all-new factory MG project.

Plato will go into this weekend’s season finale chasing a third title while, for Triple Eight, it’s an opportunity to win the big prize for the first time in four years.

On the eve of the season finale Harrison has given a fascinating ‘now and then’ insight into his star driver.

He told btcc.net: “Jason has obviously matured a lot since 2001. On track he could do it then and he can clearly still do it now but, as a bloke, he’s much more mature. In the driving respect there’s no real difference but he’s now a real team leader. He’s the 'go-to guy' whereas before he was one of the guys. He doesn’t just swan in at weekends and appear as driver – he is an integral part of the team. Most good relationships are built around that work ethic.

“At race weekends he expects the team to do their best because he knows we expect him to do his best. No doubt about it, people gravitate towards him. He really applies himself, concentrates fully on the job and is always pushing us to give him the tools he needs. Sometimes we come up short, but not through lack of effort.

“Without doubt he is absolutely right up there with one of the best we’ve ever had. They’ve all got their strengths and weaknesses but, at end of day, you can’t put a fag paper between them.”

Harrison is also clear as to why Plato, even at 45, remains a benchmark for the younger generation of drivers.

He added: “It’s not Formula 1 so age is less of an issue in terms of fitness and durability. What he and the older guard bring to their performance is racecraft. Driving these cars isn’t probably that difficult by their standards. But racing them is difficult and in the BTCC you’ve got to know who you’re racing against. It is racecraft that makes the difference in getting results or just being quick.”

As for Triple Eight, Harrison is clearly hungry to add to the team’s unrivalled display of title-winning BTCC silverware back at base near Banbury.

He continued: “We’ve still had good times since 2008 – in 2011 we won the Independent title on a modest budget which shows what can be achieved with a bit of common sense. I think it’s only 2010 when we’ve not picked up something this century.

“Regards this weekend… anything we got from here on in to the end of Sunday is a bonus. We didn’t expect to be going for it this year. We’ve got a bit of a sneaky peak at it at Brands but can’t get ahead of ourselves. We’re coming from behind and it’s always difficult like that. It doesn’t look like much but it’s 15 points on a track that will suit the Hondas as much as us. Whatever happens at Brands, we’ll walk away with our heads up.

“If it was to go our way then it would rate up there with one of the best titles at Triple Eight, something really special. It’s the first year for MG, we didn’t have a car running until the week before the first race and we’ve had to learn about the new regulations as we’ve gone along and that’s a great credit to the team and drivers and the way everyone has applied themselves.”

[Rob]

Jackson means business at Brands
After his stunning Silverstone win Mat Jackson is looking to end his 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season with more victories at Brands Hatch this weekend.

Jackson’s form at Silverstone suggests he could be a real thorn in the side of the main title protagonists at the Kent circuit. Silverstone saw him deliver a first win for Redstone Racing’s NGTC Ford Focus (which could have been two but for a late, cruel mechanical failure) as well as a new lap record.

Asked about his game plan for this Sunday, the Warwickshire ace told btcc.net: “I don’t really care what they (those fighting for the title) are up to – I’ll race them just the same as normal, hard but fair. If they want to mess with me with what’s at stake then it’s their call.

“Ultimately we are going to Brands this weekend really meaning business and are there to win for our sponsors. The Focus started to show its teeth at Silverstone and we will have improved it even further for this weekend.

“I don’t think the Independent drivers’ title is realistically on but the Independent Teams Championship is – hopefully both myself and Aron (Smith) who has really come on strong in the last three events can do the job for the team.”

Jackson has also poured cold water on claims he was only able to produce his stunning drive from 17th to victory at Silverstone because of his car’s superior straight line speed.

He added: “Sure, the Focus is no slouch in the speed traps but there’s not that much in it and I actually don’t recall overtaking anyone in a straight line. It was usually on the brakes and that was a by-product of how strong the car’s cornering was which enabled it to exit faster and carry more momentum onto the straights.

“With that in mind it should really suit the Brands Hatch GP circuit where you need a bit of grunt from the engine but also good corner exit speed.”

[Rob]

Just the tonic for Gordon
Gordon Shedden is the experts’ red hot tip for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title at Brands Hatch this weekend.

btcc.net asked a panel of seasoned commentators from the worlds of TV and print media to say who they think will come out on top and Shedden was their overwhelming favourite.

The Scot will go into the season’s final three races with a 15-point lead at the top of the table. Jason Plato, Matt Neal and Andrew Jordan can also still clinch the crown but barely figured on our roving reporters’ radars. Here is what they had to say:

Chris Hockley, The Sun
“Jason, but what else did you expect? He’s worn our logos on his car like he wears his heart on his sleeve all season, is a master tactician and also been in this position many times before. He’ll be feeling relaxed and using every trick in the book to unsettle Gordon who, on saying that, is a tough cookie. But Jason is the man.”

Jon Doran, Scottish Sun
“Jason Plato should have the momentum going into Brands after his two wins last time out and the MG is frighteningly quick, but the fact that Gordon Shedden escaped with points from Silverstone suggests it might just be his year. It might not come as a surprise, but I expect a ‘Flash of inspiration’ and Shedden to be champion.”

Nick Trott, evo
“Jason Plato. He’s got momentum behind him, he’s brilliant on the Brands GP track and the MG is really singing at the moment. I think he would be a worthy champion. His speed and consistency have been exemplary.”

Tim Harvey, ITV Sport & ITV.com/touringcars
“Gordon Shedden will be crowned Champion and deservedly so. He has driven beautifully this year, winning when the car was on form and picking up points when it wasn’t so quick. Crucially he has Matt Neal supporting him this year, not fighting against him which caused him to choke at Silverstone last year. History is also on his side with the leader of the championship going into the final meeting winning the title every year since 2001 except one.”

Kevin Turner, Autosport
“I’ll go for Gordon Shedden. Despite Jason Plato’s recent charge and the pace of the MG, I think the Honda Civics will suit the Brands Hatch GP track much better than Silverstone. Gordon has the points advantage, is really hungry to win it and could have the help of his team-mate and experienced old hand Matt Neal if required. He has to be the favourite.”

Alan Hyde, BTCC pit lane commentator, Tin Top Tuesday radio show
"This week I was blessed with an iPhone 5. I decided to seek inspiration for the answer to the question "Who will win the BTCC?" by asking Siri. Siri replied by asking me if I wanted him to search the web for the answer, and I told him: "No – what's the answer?" His answer was Gloria Gaynor. I think this was a coded message, giving me the letter ‘G’. Therefore, I'll stick with my prediction from the start of the season: Gordon Shedden.”

Ian Titchmarsh, BTCC circuit commentator
"My prediction is 'Flash'. He has one of the best cars; his team-mate has vowed to help him; the Honda Civic should be well suited to Brands GP despite its power deficit; even Jason will struggle to overcome the points deficit.

Louise Goodman, ITV Sport & ITV.com/touringcars
“I’m going with Gordon Shedden for his maiden BTCC title – it seems only fair to share the title around a bit and it’s the safer bet given that Gordon’s superior strike rate so far has earned him a slight points lead going into the finale… but all the title challengers have had their fair share of dramas this season and Brands is bound to bring more. Expect a nail-biter!”

Toby Moody, ITV Sport & ITV.com/touringcars
“Gordon Shedden. He's quiet but very, very hungry – a racer who wants to win even more than the others. His lead of as good as a race win should see him through. The car will suit the Brands GP circuit.”

Matt James, Motorsport News
“I think this year’s championship will go to Gordon Shedden. He has been the stand-out performer this season in a great car and will have team-mate Matt Neal looking after his title charge at Brands Hatch. That combination will be too much for Jason Plato and the MG to overhaul, so I am going to pick Shedden. He would be a popular winner, too – it is always nice to see someone new lift the championship trophy.”

[Greig]

Hopefully Flash wins it, Neal should take out Plato just to help tho

[Rob]

Can you imagine Platos face if that did happen, wow!!

Like Flash to do it, but you just cannt count Plato out. Come on Flash.

Also, where has this year gone, cannt get me head round that it final races this weekend already.

[Rob]

New charity livery for MGs
The factory MG team has unveiled an all-new race livery for Brands Hatch’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship finale in aid of Cancer Research UK.

Both Jason Plato and Andy Neate’s MG6s have been heavily re-branded in the colours of sponsors KX and Momentum 99's owner Tesco’s ‘charity of the year’.

The new striking pink and white design also encourages fans to make £1 donations by text which will go towards £10 million that Tesco hopes to raise to fund early detection and diagnosis projects across the UK.

Plato said: “I think this is an inspired initiative from our sponsor at Tesco and I am thrilled that it has been wholeheartedly adopted by other sponsors and the team.

“My close friend Richard Burns, the 2001 World Rally Champion, was tragically taken by cancer several years ago so this really brings home to me what is important in life and I am proud to be associated with Cancer UK.

“I hope people will dig deep and donate to the cause as, at some point, we are all affected or touched by cancer.”

Those wishing to make a £1 donation can do so by texting MGKX99 £1 to 70070.

i have just now donated.

[Rob]

Neal tops first practice
Matt Neal headed a Honda 1-2-3 in a damp opening Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship practice session on Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix circuit.

Neal set the pace with a best lap of 1m44.510s in his Honda Yuasa Racing Team Civic with a late-session burst. Impressively, all of his final three laps would have put him at the top.

Next up were his team-mate Gordon Shedden and fellow Honda driver, Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan, respective leaders of the outright and Independent drivers’ championships going into this weekend’s title-deciding round.

Jason Plato, Shedden’s biggest threat, was fourth in his new-look KX Momentum Racing MG, some 1.2s off Neal’s pace. But he declared: “There’s no point pushing for a time in these conditions. All we’ve done is scrub in dry and wet weather tyres.”

Indeed, the leading times were some 13 seconds off the qualifying and race laps records, but there were still several surprises of note.

Will Bratt was a fine fifth in his wixracing.co.uk Audi A4 and Ollie Jackson tenth in AmD Tuning.com’s VW Golf, just ahead of Chris James’s ES Racing.com Vauxhall Vectra. Making his debut this weekend, Aaron Williamson was 18th fastest of the 24 runners in Team HARD’s Honda Civic.

James's car was the fastest of all through the first of three speed traps, with Shedden's Honda and Mat Jackson's fifth-placed Redstone Racing Ford Focus ahead in the next two. Of the three sectors, Neal was untouchable in the first two but it was Daniel Welch, eighth fastest overall, who was quickest in the third in his Welch Motorsport Proton Persona.

Meanwhile Frank Wrathall’s session was a brief affair, his Dynojet Toyota Avensis stopping in the pit lane with smoke, caused by an oil leak, pouring from its engine bay.

[Tifosi]

New charity livery for MGs

Those wishing to make a £1 donation can do so by texting MGKX99 £1 to 70070.

i have just now donated.

Me too

[Rob]

See new BTCC vid on-line
A new Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship video – including ITV’s stunning end-of-season edit – can now be viewed on-line.

The nine-minute film on the BTCC’s YouTube channel www.youtube.com/btccdotnet includes:

• action from Brands Hatch’s title-deciding round
• interviews with the newly crowned outright and Independent drivers’ champions Gordon Shedden and Andrew Jordan
• a re-cap of 2013’s race dates
• a pulsating three-minute look-back at some of the season’s highlights.

Furthermore every one of 2012’s thrill-a-minute races will remain available for viewing on the www.itv.com/btcc website until the end of the year.

[Rob]

2hr ITV review coming soon
ITV has confirmed it will screen a special two-hour programme looking back at 2012’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship on Sunday 11 November.

The network’s season review will be broadcast at 6.00pm on its ITV4 and ITV4 HD channels and simultaneously on the www.itv.com website. It will then remain available to view on demand via the itv.com site's on-line ITV Player until the end of November...

In addition to the best of the season’s action, also included in the review are exclusive interviews with a number of the 2012’s more colourful drivers – filmed separately during last month’s Finals Day weekend at Brands Hatch.

As well, presenter Louise Goodman visits newly crowned Champion Gordon Shedden at his home for a more in-depth look at his racing career.

Keep an eye out on the www.itv.com/btcc website next week for a series of ‘teaser clips’ in the build-up to the programme…

[Rob]

Special discount on season DVD
Duke Video’s official twin-disc DVD review of 2012’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season is now on sale.

What’s more, Duke is giving btcc.net fans an opportunity to purchase the review for just £14.99 with free delivery thrown in.

To be first in the queue – the initial batch of copies is due to be dispatched on 19 November – simply click on the link below and enter the special code BTCC12 when ordering:

http://www.dukevideo.com/prd3940/BTC...iew-2-Disc-DVD

At over seven hours in length the DVD is truly a must-buy piece of any BTCC fan’s memorabilia while also making for a perfect Christmas or birthday gift.

As well as plenty of bumper-crunching, panel-scraping action, there were numerous other highlights during the 2012 BTCC season including: nine different race winners (three of them first-time visitors to the top step of the podium), the emergence of the championship’s latest and even more spectacular NGTC-spec cars plus a four-way title showdown that culminated in the crowning of a first-time Champion.

[Rob]

Neate leaves Triple Eight/MG
Andy Neate has confirmed he’s split with the Triple Eight Race Engineering-run MG KX Momentum Racing team but insists he fully intends being on the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship grid in 2013.

Neate joined the newly-founded factory MG outfit at the start of the season – his third in the BTCC – and was expected to stay with it next year.

But in the past week he has parted company with the Triple Eight set-up, thereby leaving the way open for a prized seat alongside double Champion Jason Plato.

“I’m no longer with the Triple Eight MG team and that’s my decision. But I am 100 per cent committed to staying on the grid for 2013,” Aylesbury racer Neate told btcc.net.

However, he remained tight-lipped about his plans for next year.

[Rob]

tech-speed Cruze appears
Stalwart Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship team tech-speed Motorsport today re-appeared with its NGTC-engined Chevrolet Cruze in a test at Donington Park.

The Warwickshire squad has raced in the BTCC since the early Nineties but hasn't been seen since the end of 2011's season when it ran two Cruzes in full S2000 (normally-aspirated) trim.

But today it rolled out one of its cars, now fitted with a latest NGTC-spec turbocharged engine, at Donington in Leicestershire for BARC production touring car trophy racer Joe Girling.

The 22-year-old from Hull had hoped to race the car in one of this year’s final two rounds but is now concentrating on the 2013 season and the BTCC’s newly-created Jack Sears Trophy for S2000 machinery.

Team principal Marvin Humphries told btcc.net: “We gave the car a shakedown at Bruntingthorpe yesterday but today was its first proper test of sorts. There have been a few inevitable teething problems but generally everything has run properly.”

Girling added: “An S2000 car with an NGTC engine is not going to be a match for a full-on NGTC machine in 2013 but the Cruze will be ideal for me to contest the Jack Sears Trophy and enable us to gauge how we’re performing compared to the other S2000 runners.

“It’s my first time in a BTCC car and it’s a steep learning curve – the biggest thing is how it just sticks to the road when cornering. Hopefully I can test the car once more before Christmas but where we don’t know yet… let’s keep an eye on the weather forecasts.”

[Rob]

Weather frustrates Wood, Newsham
Cold weather thwarted Lea Wood and Dave Newsham’s test in the Speedworks Motorsport team’s Toyota Avensis at Donington Park today.

Wood and Newsham, both emerging stars of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, felt they were unable to wring the most from the car because of bitterly cold temperatures.

A broken driveshaft – quickly fixed – delayed Wood initially. Newsham later suffered a high-speed but harmless spin into the gravel trap down the Craner Curves section of the Leicestershire track.

Hereford’s Wood told btcc.net: “I also had a quick spin exiting Redgate – the rear tyres have actually been losing temperature as we’ve gone round – but otherwise the test actually went very well. Speedworks have done a fabulous job all day and are a pleasure to work with.

“It’s been very interesting to finally drive an NGTC-spec car. The mid-corner grip and exit speed is considerably greater than an S2000 car, like the Vauxhall Vectra I’ve raced in 2012. There’s a lot less drop-off in tyre performance over a race distance. It would be great to be in one of these in 2013…”

And commented Newsham: “The cold has made it very tricky – in fact it’s been colder at Donington that it was when I left home in Inverness early this morning for the flight down here!

“It’s been impossible to get any heat into the rear tyres, particularly as it’s not an abrasive track surface as well. The spin down Craner Curves was a bit of a setback and I actually came away thinking the car was difficult to drive but, having gone through things with the team, we’re all now convinced it’s down to the temperatures It’s meant I’ve not yet been able to really establish what an NGTC car can do. I'd love another go, Speedworks!"

Team principal Christian added: “Both drivers have been great to work with – very professional. Their times were also impossibly close and I’m not just saying that because it sounds nice in the media! Genuinely, they were very evenly matched. They are also right in saying the weather hasn’t helped. Even I’ve felt cold and I’m from up North!”