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World Touring Car testing, Vallelunga – N.Technology Alfa Romeo - Thompson: It’s good to be back |
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Friday, 09 February 2007 |
James Thompson enjoyed a successful return to the wheel of an N.Technology Alfa Romeo on Wednesday when he joined his new FIA World Touring Car Championship team for a test in Vallelunga in Italy.
Briton Thompson, 31, who last raced for the team in 2005, is looking forward to working with the successful Italian outfit again this season and the two-time British Touring Car Champion is already confident he can put in a strong performance in the Alfa 156.
“It is great to be back with all the guys this year and it was great to
get back into the 156. It is an excellent car and it felt great
on-track.” said Thompson, who drove for N.Technology as a guest in 2003
and 2004 and full-time in 2005.
“After a competitive season last year the team are all raring to go,
they are determined to fight for the championship this season and that
is exactly what I want to do. I am really looking forward to getting
back into competitive action.
“There is a great work ethic at N.Technology and that has been proven
time and time again by their success on the track. We have unfinished
business here and it is great to be back to take on the challenge
again.”
The team secured five race wins on the way to third place in the
manufacturers’ championship last year, with Augusto Farfus Jr.
finishing a close third in a hotly-contested battle for the drivers’
championship, missing the title by just nine points.
The N.Technology team will be concentrating on a two-car attack as they
aim to increase that victory tally this season and Harrogate-born
Thompson will be leading the charge, with a second driver soon to
announced.
N.Technology’s Team Principal, Mauro Sipsz, believes Thompson will play
a key role this season and said: “He has proven his pace time and time
again and he gets on really well with the guys in the team.
“He won his first race when he joined us full-time in 2005 and he is
eager to add to that tally for us this year. It was immediately clear
from the test that he is going to hit the ground running this season
thanks to his past experience with the team.”
The 2007 WTCC season takes in 22 rounds at 11 different venues,
starting at the new 3.695km Curitiba track in Parana, Brazil on March
10-11 and ending in the spectacular Macau street event on 16-18
November.
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