Reigning champion Colin Turkington says sealing pole position for the British Touring Car Championship season finale at Brands Hatch feels “pretty sweet” given the changeable conditions throughout the day.
The Northern Irishman is aiming to secure a record-equalling fourth BTCC title in Kent this weekend, and had a successful Saturday despite carrying maximum success ballast.
Turkington started the day in perfect fashion by topping a damp-but-drying opening practice, before slipping to eighth in the second session.
Come qualifying, the triple champion immediately stretched his legs, consistently pumping in the fastest laps early in the session when the track conditions and tyres on his BMW 3 Series were working best.
He outlined that the bonus point for pole position could prove crucial given how close the title fight remains heading into the final trio of races on the iconic Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit tomorrow [13 October].
“I’m super-happy to get this pole position,” said Turkington.
“They don’t come along that often, so it feels pretty sweet when they do, and to get the bonus point is especially important when things are as close as they are.
“It’s been a difficult day with the weather as you don’t really know what it’s going to do from one minute to the next, especially as the grip levels on the Indy circuit and the GP loop are very different.”
Turkington continued to credit the WSR-run Team BMW outfit, and feels he is well prepared for the title showdown with an approach to focus on himself.
“Team BMW have worked so hard and I have a balance that I’m pretty happy with in full wet or just damp conditions,” he said.
“Tomorrow’s the day that counts, but we’ve prepared well. I can only control what I do; not what anyone else does, but I’ll just do my thing and see what the result is.”