Andy Priaulx is setting his sights on snatching back the World Touring Car Championship title in 2009 after having his contract with BMW extended.

Priaulx, who won the inaugural 2005 championship before going on to win again in 2006 and 2007, was classified fourth overall in 2008 behind SEAT pairing Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini, as well as Chevrolet's Rob Huff.

Nonetheless, despite rumours linking Priaulx with a move to BMW's American Le Mans Series project, the Guernseyman has been confirmed as staying with the Bart Mampaey run BMW Team UK outfit for another season.

With a raft of changes intended to reign in the pace of the dominant diesel-fuelled SEAT set to be enforced before the start of the new season, Priaulx is confident he will be capable of challenging for a fifth title (including his ETCC win) in 2009.

“This is my other family and I can't wait to get going again next season,” he said. “We have a clear aim and that is to get the drivers' championship title back. The team worked hard in 2008 and it was not through lack of effort that the title went elsewhere.

“However, I know that the moment the last race was over in Macau Bart Mampaey and his amazing team of guys in Belgium were plotting how we could take our fifth title together.”