Colin Turkington spoke to TCF of his delight to be carrying the number one plate in the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, saying that he is learning more and more each time he gets into the BMR Racing Volkswagen CC.
Turkington’s hectic winter period threatened to repeat his 2010 scenario, title sponsors eBay departing WSR and leaving the defending champion’s place on the grid initially deep in question.
Solitude came from BMR and Turkington will now carry the #1 aboard his car for the first time in his BTCC career, saying that his new partnership with Warren Scott‘s squad in 2015 is an exciting opportunity at a team he says is ‘full of ambition’ to succeed.
“A winter of uncertainty, as ever!” Turkington told The Checkered Flag at Donington on Tuesday. “But I’m really pleased that I could take up this opportunity in a brand new team.
“It’s just such an exciting project with a lot of potential, so I’m just so pleased to be back racing. There’s so much enthusiasm behind the project and everybody is ambitious, so it’s good to be a part of that.”
“Yes, it was a little bit unexpected”, said Turkington on WSR losing their title sponsor in a similar manner to 2010. “The alarm bells did start ringing.
“Sometimes, these things are meant to be. This has however been an opportunity to me and a fresh challenge after the really great times with WSR.”
The challenges of a new team are not lost on Turkington, who says he has already found it a tricky transition to adapt to front-wheel drive machinery having raced rear-wheel drive BMWs since WSR brought the German marque back in 2007.
Photo: btcc.net
“It’s not easy because I’d been with WSR for so long, plus I’m moving to a very different type of car. There’s a lot of change.
“It’s been a big step for me because I’m having to think a lot and put the miles in, trying to get as many laps as I can. The more time I’m having in the car, the more familiar it gets. It’s just having that instinct and being able to respond quickly when you lose the grip because its from a different axle. I try not to think about it though.”
The previous season broiled down to a straight fight between Turkington and fellow double BTCC champion, Jason Plato, Turkington’s eight wins enough to beat the MG man to the crown.
The pair now inexplicably find themselves in the same stable for 2015, a partnership Turkington says is one he shall relish as both learn in their new environment of the Volkswagen CC.
“[Jason] is a really good guy that have with me in the team to learn off. Obviously I have a lot more work to do to bring myself up to speed and, each time we go to a track, it feels new to me with this car.
“I find that through testing and how you think after a couple of days, but then just as you think you have it cracked you go to another track and it’s all change again!”
First blood went to Plato by the narrowest of margins in the official BTCC media day test held in changeable conditions at Donington Park, the CCs looking strong in both the dry and wet surface.
Turkington says that one thing which will not change is his approach in 2015, keeping his calm demeanor and focusing on racking up the points during a season he expects to be much more tightly-contested.
“It always is tight. I’m just going to go into it with the same approach and keep scoring points, which is all you can do really to win this.”
Plato and Turkington have sung praise of each other (Photo: Andrea Marley)
