Colin Turkington feels more confident with his BMW 125i M Sport after the first British Touring Car Championship meeting at Brands Hatch than he did in pre-season testing.
The double champion says increased ambient temperatures and warmer circuit conditions have suited the 1-series better, giving him more confidence to attack.
It proved a mixed bag for the Northern Irishman at the Kent venue, with a mechanical gremlin halting Turkington before the formation lap in the middle race after he was unlucky not to usurp Jack Goff and win the opening round in greasy conditions on the 1.2 mile circuit.
He then put in a storming drive from the rear of the field to seize ninth in the reverse grid encounter, ending the weekend sixth overall in the standings.
“We’ve been fast in all conditions and I feel more confidence in the car than I did in pre-season testing, when it was cooler and when we were on green circuits,” explained Turkington.
“Now we’ve got more ambient temperature and the car is responding very well, so I feel good confidence with the car going forward. As a driver, all you want is a race car that you can attack with, and that’s what we have.”
The Team BMW driver was also in pragmatic mood about his technical failure, believing the bad luck will come around to haunt everybody at some stage in the remaining 27 rounds.
“It’s been a normal BTCC weekend, with lots of highs and lows. We scored well twice, with good results in Races One and Three, but Race Two was, of course, disappointing,” he added.
“Those type of unforeseen gremlins creep into everyone’s campaign at some stage through the season.
“Ideally, you don’t want it to happen at the first round, but it has and we just have to put it behind us and move on.
“I’m particularly pleased to come from 27th to ninth in the final race. To be able to pass so many cars on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, and to set fastest lap on the prime tyre, shows that there is good pace in the car. It’s been a very encouraging weekend.”