Jason Plato believes he let 2013 BTCC title 'get away'
Two-time British Touring Car champion Jason Plato believes he and Triple Eight let the 2013 title "get away" as Andrew Jordan took a maiden crown
Plato finished third in the standings last year, 17 points adrift of Jordan's family team-run Honda Civic.
But the 46-year-old believes that the crown was there for the taking had he and Triple Eight had a smoother year.
Speaking on the main stage at AUTOSPORT International on Thursday, Plato said: "Not taking anything away from Andrew Jordan because he had a fantastic year and was a deserving winner, but we kind of gifted it to him really.
"We had five DNFs and had we had one less we would have won it. In three of those DNFs we were leading.
"But that's the way motorsport is. Sometimes it goes in your favour and sometimes it doesn't.
"We had the quickest car in the second half of the year but we just had too much bad luck or made mistakes as a team - and that includes me.
"We let it get away from us."
Plato said that Triple Eight is yet to maximise the potential of the MG 6, and it has made further developments with the car since the 2013 season finished.
"We find it difficult to hit the sweet spot, NGTC [spec] is quite tricky," he added.
"We're making some big changes over the winter, we're re-doing the aerodynamics, particularly at the front of the car.
"We are confident that we will be in better shape this season, and we should have won it last year..."
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