NEWS CHANNEL
James Nash can't wait to make the step up to the World Touring Car Championships.
The Newport Pagnell driver – the reigning British Touring Cars independents' champion – will race on the global stage with Sussex-based Team AON.
It's a deal which will see Nash, 26, competing against the best touring car drivers in the world in a brand-new ‘global’ Ford Focus that features the very latest 1.6 litre turbocharged engine from Mountune Racing.
Nash believes that he can be competitive from the off.
He said: "Taking the step up into the WTCC is a great challenge and very exciting. The whole Team Aon and Ford package is fantastic. With Ford’s support and Team AON’s detailed knowledge of the car I’m hugely looking forward to what I hope will be another rewarding season.
“Of course, as a reigning British champion it has been a difficult decision to move away from the national series. I had offers to stay but quite honestly the lure of world competition was too strong to resist.
“I can’t wait to go wheel to wheel with people like three-time world champion Yvan Muller, Rob Huff, Alain Menu and Gabriele Tarquinii.
"I’ve grown up watching them race and I’m itching to get behind the wheel and make my own mark too.
“Helping the team to develop the Focus is also something I’m really looking forward to. Last year with the Triple Eight team the budget was tight and the Vauxhall cars we used were pretty much fully developed. The Focus though is new and already in pre-season testing I’ve found a few things that enabled me and my new team-mate to lap close to qualifying record speed."
The first race of the World Touring Car series will be over the weekend of March 10/11 in Monza, Italy.
Fellow Brit Tom Chilton will be his team-mate at AON.
