Árón Smith says that he is “very happy” with his new Team BMR Volkswagen Passat CC, as the Irishman enters his third full season in the British Touring Car Championship.
Smith moved from Motorbase Performance, where he raced in 2012 and 2013, to Warren Scott’s Team BMR outfit over the winter. The 24-year-old admits that he is confident heading into the new season as he feels more comfortable with the larger Passat.
“It’s extremely fast,” said Smith to TouringCars.Net. “It’s a completely different animal, this and it seems my style a hell of a lot more. It’s a lot more smooth – a lot more forgiving, so to speak – and I jumped in straight away and didn’t have to change a thing. It’s brilliant – I’m very happy with it.”
“You don’t want a car that’s going to bite your hand off the second you make a mistake. It’s a great, great chassis; you can wring it’s neck and that’s what you need to do.
“You can’t sit on the fence thinking ‘I can’t get more out of this’. With 31 drivers on the grid that are very, very good you need to have something that will suit you.”
Smith also admitted that he had settled in very well at Scott’s Team BMR operation, alongside team-mates Alain Menu, Jack Goff and Scott himself.
“This has been a new family to me,” added Smith. “Warren is possibly the coolest guy I’ve met in some time and took me under his wing and I think we’re going to achieve something special.”
As the only Irishman on the grid and the only Irishman to win a race within the past 30 years of the BTCC, Smith is hoping to make his country proud in the 2014 BTCC.
“Fun is secondary to winning,” added Smith. “The hunger is there to go out at Brands and kick everyone’s arse. My little Irish twang goes a long way. It’s something extra – no one will understand me but it’s entertaining.
“To be honest all I want to do is make my country proud here. People dream of growing up and wearing the Irish jersey playing football but this is my dream and the flag’s on our roof so I’m very proud.