James Thompson Q&A

"Yeah, that's twice now in three weekends. The main thing is we showed we were competitive and could battle on level terms with [Eric] Helary's Opel and [Thomas] Jager's Mercedes. My Audi was better through the corners, but needed a bit of help on the straights. When I got a tow off Helary I was able to catch and pass Jager but, unfortunately, he was just a little bit quicker than me.


"We had a great, clean race which was really good fun to be a part of. It was a bit reminiscent of the old BTCC days! It was fun to be able to race somebody in a Mercedes for a change."


"The car has got some really good qualities - it's better than the opposition in some areas. We still need to work on it, but we're at the point where we should've been at the start of the season. I reckon we've done 10,000km of running now, which is what the others probably did pre-season. Foss-Tech has put a lot of work in and so has Abt. I'm pleased for all concerned that it has paid off in the end."


"To be honest, I felt a bit out of place! I'm not sure if I really deserved to be standing bang in the middle of the DTM end-of-season photograph, I was biting my lip a little...anyway, I'll take it as it comes."


"Yes, and it's a nice end to the season to finish in the top ten. There's nothing better than racing against people. I didn't just trawl around and pick up those points, I was racing hard for them. I've finished the season with a smile on my face."


"These cars are just the business to drive - they're great fun. I was lucky to be involved from the start and I would love to be involved with the capacity to win races. I've had a lean year by my standards, I can't afford another one like that. Whatever championship I do I need to be in a position to win it. I'm not a young driver any more, I've done over 250 touring car races. I need to win some more!"


"It's difficult to say. Abt has had a lot of publicity because it is a private team racing against Mercedes and Opel, and when you're competitive it reflects even more favourably on you."


"Working for a big manufacturer is great, like I've done with Honda for years, but what I don't want to do is keep hopping between teams. I want a stable platform, which I had with Honda in the BTCC. At the end of the day, this is the series I want to be in, but only if the right situation is available. I've learnt all the circuits, found out a lot I didn't know, so next year I'll be well prepared for it if I get a chance."