Fabrizio Giovanardi admitted he couldn't have done more in his bid to secure a hat-trick of HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship titles after being forced to settle for third at Brands Hatch.

The Italian went into the season finale looking to overhaul Colin Turkington in the race for the crown, but instead saw Jason Plato secure a hat-trick of wins to steal second place in the final race.

It brought to an end the Italian's run of success in the BTCC but he admitted he wasn't too despondent at missing out on the third crown.

“For a couple of laps in the last race, I was really close to fighting for the third title, but Colin and Jason drove really well,” he said. “I feel good as I tried my best but they tried their best and only one of the three could win.

“We didn't expect the Chevrolet to come in [this season] and it was a surprise to us. The BMW did a good job and they produced a reliable car and made no mistakes. They had some luck but you need luck in this series, so good for them.”

Vauxhall's withdrawal from the series leaves Giovanardi seeking a new drive for the 2010 season, but he admitted he isn't yet sure where he will end up next year.

“Easy answer,” he said. “I don't know. I really don't know.”