Neal hopes for cooler weather at Croft

Neal, 42, could only manage a single podium finish from the three races last time out as his Vectra - and those of team-mates Fabrizio Giovanardi and Andrew Jordan - struggled to manage its tyres in the sweltering conditions.

But he believes that Croft, with fewer low-speed corners than Oulton, should favour a car like his, which is renowned for its high-speed stability, rather than the BMW of chief rival Colin Turkington - if the weather plays its part that is.

"Oulton was not altogether unexpected," the two-time champion told AUTOSPORT. "With that amount of heat, the rear-wheel drive cars are always going to handle their tyres better.

"Croft is not so different in terms of the high-speed stuff, but there are none of those uphill exits from slow turns, which is where the BMWs really have an advantage with their traction. So that should be better for us. And the forecast is that it will be cooler too, which is a good thing."

Neal saw his championship lead shrink from 13 points to just two at Oulton Park as WSR driver Turkington won twice in his BMW.

"It's like standing on a railway line and just waiting for the train to come and hit you," Neal added, referring to the Northern Irishman's relentless pursuit of him this season.

"We've just got to steady the ship, take the points where they come, and hit them where it hurts when we get the chance. The aim is to go into the summer break with the lead of the championship."