Josh Files celebrated the conclusion of another award-winning season in TCR machinery as the Brit retained his TCR Germany title and also tasted success in the Middle East series.
Racing for M1RA at the International Series finale in Dubai last weekend, Files notably recovered from a qualifying hampered by gearbox issues to storm through to third from the back of the field in the final race on Sunday.
His efforts helped M1RA secure the Teams’ Championship in the opening contest, though team-mate Attila Tassi would miss out on the Drivers’ title to Jean-Karl Vernay in the same race.
Files also believes that, provided the philosophy of TCR is adhered to, the rumoured two-year lease of the regulations to the FIA to support a new-for-2018 touring car series, dubbed ‘WTCR’ by others in the paddock, is a positive statement of intent for the exposure of the series.
Reflecting to TouringCars.net at Dubai Autodrome on another season that included 14 podium finishes, including 10 victories and a brace of pole positions.
“The Middle East series was a great start to the season, we had some great testing and I was still racing, so it can’t get much better!
“TCR Germany was obviously the high point of the year and to win the title again was mega. And the TCR Adria Trophy – I didn’t think we would actually have the pace there given the BoP situation so that was a bit of a nice surprise and racing against Gabriele [Tarquini] for several tight laps was a nice statement.
“To come here and do what we did today was fantastic – it would have been boring if we’d qualified well, so I’m quite glad with how it all turned out and I did the best job I could for the team and for Attila, which is why I’m here.
“As long as they stick to the philosophy of TCR – customer support programmes and don’t bring in all the manufacturers with £15 million in budget – then it’s going to be great, and I think it’s a positive statement in that sense because exposure is probably what the International Series is lacking so to combine the two, and bring the World Touring Car drivers and teams over and form a 30-car strong grid where anyone can win, I think that’s really positive.”