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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.
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The team secured five race wins on the way to third place in
the manufacturers’ championship last year, with Augusto
Farfus Jr. (above) finishing a close third in a
hotly-contested battle for the drivers’
championship. |
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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. |
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The N.Technology team will be concentrating on a two-car
attack in the FIA World Touring Car Championship as they aim to increase that victory tally this
season and the 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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