James Thompson Q&A

"Hopefully slightly better than qualifying. It started out well, but went down in a blaze of glory. Yvan did a good job today. It was close in the first one and I think it would have been close in the second, but I got caught in a bit of traffic. I take my hat off to him. He beat me fair and square and you can only do what you can do. My race set-up will be the same as my qualifying one so we'll see what happens."



"Yeah, there's a bit of movement, a bit of squirming around going on. It's not quite as bad as the straights in Kielder though. I'm used to oversteer in the corners. It just seems strange that it's not oversteering down the straights here... You get a bit of a respite here not like in the rally car."



"I think to be fair we've both raised our game. Last year was a bad year for me. For whatever reason, it just wasn't happening, so I just ran at a sensible pace and did a solid job. This year I feel I'm working more to my potential. I've got the car working better for me; I've got a full-time engineer. I've been quickest in a lot of the sessions leading up to qualifying, but I've not had the luck, had engine failures and whatever, but Yvan knows that he's going to have to operate at the top of his game to beat me, and I know I will too. It's a really good little joust that we're having and there's absolutely no animosity between us. It is going to be a tough battle - we're both looking to screw every last little bit out of the car and we're both enjoying it."



"I'm not fussed. If I win the championship, I win it. If you look at Yvan, he pitched up at Estoril last year [for the ETCC finale] and banged it on pole - the flash sod - against Fabrizio Giovanardi and Nicola Larini in their own car. I pitched up in the Honda, put it second on the grid and second in the race - people know that we're on a good level in world touring cars. I think it's fair to say that we're getting the best out of each other and if we can be competitive with each other, push each other on and have a good gap over everyone else. I think regardless of who wins the championship, people are going to think those two guys were working really hard, really driving it in. Ultimately if I think I've got the best out of myself, that's what matters. If I lose it because of engine failures or whatever, so be it. As long as I don't think I've lost it through a lack of speed, then I'm happy.



"Yeah, it's fantastic. Anyone who doubts my ability to do both should note that I've just done 150 miles or whatever of rally stages last weekend and come here and bang I'm quickest in the first session. I think it's affecting things in a good way. Not a bad way. Yvan does the ice-racing that keeps him sharp. I've been doing some rallying and I feel good for it.



"I want to do both. I love the racing. The more rallying I do, the more I appreciate how much I enjoy the racing and the more rallying I do, the more I love that. But there's a good balance between the two. Ultimately the BTCC is my breadwinner and I love doing it. The rallying's fantastic, but I've got a lot to learn. I'm at different stages in my careers. In BTCC I've sort of levelled out, but in rallying I'm gaining all the time. I'll see how it goes. I want people to give me consideration about the rallying in future, I don't want anyone to think I'm just playing at it. I'd like people to see me as having serious potential."



"Neither of us believe that winning the championship will change our lives. It would be great, fantastic and I mean no disrespect to the championship, but if I don't win it, as long as I don't injure myself, any more than I have done. As long as I can still get up in the morning and do all the things I do now, and people consider me to be one of the best around, then I'm happy. A championship would be great, but ultimately as long as the champion and his team-mate are classed on an even keel that's good enough for me. I'll win it one day. One day when my team mate's not as quick as Yvan Muller. He's on the ball this year, he's worked harder on his fitness, he's sharper. I hope everyone enjoys the battle."