Collard: My season starts at Donington

Team BMW’s Rob Collard says he’s treating Donington Park ‘as the start of his season’ as he aims to jump-start his 2018 British Touring Car Championship campaign.

The 14-time BTCC race winner endured a torrid season opening weekend at Brands Hatch and subsequently arrives at Donington Park with just a single point to his name, 25th in the standings.

Collard was one of a number of front-running candidates to suffer an indifferent start of the year at Brands Hatch and, as such, carries no championship ballast forward this weekend.

Twice a winner around the Leicestershire circuit, the BMW 125i M Sport driver is ‘aiming to make a big jump up the championship table’.

“I’m treating Donington as the start of my season. I’ve had some great results there in the past, including my first BTCC podium, a second-place finish last year and two wins,” said Collard.

“We’ve certainly been able to show the BMW’s speed there over the past couple of seasons to a greater level than before, which shows the top job the team’s doing.

“I’m not carrying any success ballast into the weekend so that will help as I aim to make a big jump up the championship table.”

Collard’s Team BMW stablemate Colin Turkington sits higher up the table in sixth with 25-points, while BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan emerged from the opening round in 13th.