Jason Plato boosted by test in BTCC team-mate Ash Sutton's Subaru

Plato drove Sutton's Subaru in a test session at Donington Park recently, and says that uncovered differences in the two machines and gave him a direction to work on for the remainder of the year.

"I never doubted myself because I've been at this a long time," said Plato, who has struggled so far this season and is only 15th in the championship.

"I know what feels right and what doesn't feel right.

"You could say [the test] is a weight lifted off my shoulders. And it's a relief that everybody else within the team has some understanding as well - not just the high-level engineers, but the mechanics as well."

Sutton drove Plato's car and Plato drove the sister machine, which has won two races in 2017.

Both cars were set up the same way, and 95-time BTCC race winner Plato said the difference in the way they reacted was obvious.

"I liked the feeling on the front of [Ash's] car, he likes that mine's a bit lively on the rear, but he didn't like the lack of grip at the front," he said.

"His gearchange is completely different to mine in the way it exits a corner, and it should be the same.

"The cars were reacting differently in the same points of the track, no matter which driver was at the wheel.

"So it was a very useful test and the main thing is we can start drilling down and taking driver style out of it. With slightly different styles we were getting the same reaction.

"We know where the differences of the car are and we can now start exploring and digging a bit deeper rather than scratching our heads."

The next rounds of the championship take place at Snetterton this weekend.