Nicola Larini has his sights firmly set on securing his maiden victory in the World Touring Car Championship as the series heads to Imola this weekend for the first of back-to-back rounds on Italian soil.

While team-mates Alain Menu and Rob Huff have both taken turns on the top step of the podium, Larini has yet to taste victory at the wheel of his Lacetti, despite a consistent approach which saw him finish the 2007 season as the best placed of the Chevrolet trio in the standings.

However, with his car light on ballast this weekend at the new-look Imola circuit, Larini said he was confident of trying to break his duck as he seeks to break into the top ten in the points this time around.

“As you can imagine, I feel extremely motivated for this first of two rounds in Italy,” he said. “The form shown by the car in the last races has been excellent: I was impressed with the balance and the performance of the Lacetti in Oschersleben, a track that had not been too favourable to us in the past.

“The car performs and feels well and we have a good pace everywhere. Imola is definitely a circuit I like, even after the changes they introduced and which are aimed at making overtaking a little bit easier. On top, I will be relatively light in terms of ballast, so I'll be really going for my first victory!”