2016 runner-up Tordoff rejoins BTCC in Motorbase Ford Focus RS

The 28-year-old, who was second in the points in 2016 to Gordon Shedden's Team Dynamics Honda Civic Type R, will drive a Gard-X branded Focus alongside the Shredded Wheat-backed machines of Tom Chilton and Mat Jackson.

Tordoff took a year out from the BTCC in 2017 and drove in the British GT Championship alongside Liam Griffin in a Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan. He finished fifth in the points.

The Yorkshireman said: "After losing the championship in 2016, I needed to just take time out: I needed to refresh.

"I didn't even look at the BTCC for the first half of 2017, when I was doing GTs.

"Then I started to watch it again and I realised I had an itch to scratch."

Tordoff tested for AmD Tuning in one of its Audi S3s late last year, and also drove the Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra in test sessions.

"I wanted to see if it was the right way for me to go. Once I drove those cars, I knew it was," said Tordoff.

"I would only come back if I had a chance of winning, and Motorbase gives me that.

"I definitely have unfinished business in the BTCC. There's one thing I need to come back for and that's the drivers title.

"Having missed out on it by such a close margin, I wanted to come back in a situation that was enjoyable for me and in an environment where I fit in with the team and I've found the perfect solution with Motorbase."

Motorbase team boss David Bartrum said: "Sam stepped away from the BTCC at the peak of his career to go off and do something else, he's got that out of his system now and he's ready to come back and fight for the drivers' title now.

"I'm very proud of the fact that he's chosen Motorbase as the team to come back and carry on where he left off in 2016."

2018 BTCC line-up so far

WSR BMW: Colin Turkington, Rob Collard, Andrew Jordan
Team Dynamics Honda Civic: Matt Neal
Team BMR Subaru Levorg: Ash Sutton, Jason Plato
Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis: Tom Ingram
Eurotech Racing Honda Civic: Jack Goff, Brett Smith, Matt Simpson
Motorbase Performance Ford Focus: Tom Chilton, Mat Jackson, Sam Tordoff
Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra: Josh Cook, Senna Proctor
Ciceley Racing Mercedes A-Class: Adam Morgan, Tom Oliphant
HMS Racing Alfa Romeo Giulietta: Rob Austin
BTC Norlin Honda Civic: Chris Smiley, James Nash
Team Hard Volkswagen CC: Jake Hill, Mike Bushell, Michael Caine, Bobby Thompson
AmD Tuning Audi S3: Ollie Jackson, Sam Smelt