Aron Taylor-Smith alongside Glynn Geddie were the first drivers to take part in the official shakedown of Team HARD. Racing‘s new CUPRA Leon at Brands Hatch as preparation continues for the 2021 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.
Taylor-Smith will return to the championship after leaving initially in 2017 so not only is it a new car for the race winner but also reacclimatising.
Speaking though after his test, he said he was glad to be on the pace and in the groove again so early on to his return which he believes can only bode well for his chances.
“Today was really exciting. Day 1 of testing is always more of a shake-down where we see if the cars run properly. You have to remember that the car hasn’t done a lot of driving until this point. Even to finish today with areas to work on around set up is a very good place to be. To me, we are not a million miles away already. The chassis feels good and there are only one or two easy improvements to make. I know it will be a very quick piece of kit,” said Taylor-Smith.
“It feels weird being back at the BTCC but I’ve settled in really quickly. I did think it would take me a few more days and to already be on the pace is good. Just getting back into a touring car is really nice, I love driving them because they’re on the edge everywhere and it just feels good. It’s funny because I have carried across different skills such as braking techniques from when I last did GT’s and from when I did touring cars before. I never used to do that and now it seems to be benefitting this car. It feels like a homecoming. I thought it would take me longer to get into the pace of it for sure. I’m really excited for what’s to come”.
