Coming to the sixth WTCC round in seventh place is much better than I'd expected at the beginning of the season! I hadn’t anticipated winning two races at this stage so I’m exceptionally happy.
N.Technology is very passionate with all the typical Italian flair and passion and their determination is to make this car successful, despite everything they’re up against. If I thought we were just going to run around at the back, I wouldn’t have been interested in coming, but the effort they’ve made, with the car and with making me feel at home, has been outstanding.
The team has worked exceptionally hard taking the car forward. I always knew it was going to be tough because we were only testing on race weekends so we were always going to be a few steps behind the others. The rest of these guys are doing 50 or 60 test days a year and we’re doing one or two, so there are going to be times when we’re having to make it up, whereas the rest of the guys know what they’re doing before they arrive at the track. That hurts you in the championship chase, but it doesn’t stop you winning races now and again, and I’m aiming to win some more! I’d like to double my race-win tally by the end of the season; that’s my aim. There are a lot more good results ahead of us and we should have a very strong finish to the season.
Porto is the next race and the track looks fast in some areas and pretty tight and twisty in others.
In terms of researching the track, there isn’t an awful lot that can be done before getting there. In
Formula 1, there are simulators that can be used but in WTCC, the only similar thing available is the WTCC game - which unfortunately doesn’t have Porto on it yet. The best thing to do is to walk the track or, like in Macau, drive it before the race weekend.
![James Thompson - N.Technology Alfa Romeo 156 [pic credit: FIA WTCC]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/336785.jpg)
