Motivation not a problem for Priaulx

The BMW driver took his third consecutive world title with a win in the final race of the year, and added to his European title from 2004, he has now won championships for four straight years.

However, Priaulx said after the final race at Macau that his motivation to succeed in the series never wanes.

"It's funny, but you start the year and you have no respect," he said. "You also don't think about the past, you think about the future, and I never give up.

"At the end of the day we all want to drive as fast as we can and be professional. Sometimes you need the motivation to dig deep but every year I seem to find more and every year it seems to be possible."

The 33-year-old added that his motivation this season came from the fact that he felt like the odds were being stacked against him and BMW.

"I know a lot of people around me didn't want me to win his year, and that was very hard to deal with," he said. "It wasn't just the drivers, it was also the regulations.

"So that has also given me motivation as well, and you have to be there at the end to win it. I am pleased and proud that BMW have given me the car to be there for five years in a row, because in the first year I had a chance at the final race too."

Priaulx offered his sympathy towards Yvan Muller after the Frenchman seemed on the verge of the title before retiring from race one, but the world champion added that he had had his own fair share of misfortune this year.

"To win a championship you have to have a bit of luck, we all know that. But you also have to be there to take that luck," he said.

"Today was my lucky day, but maybe Monza was not my lucky day, and Brno was not my lucky day. I feel extremely sorry for Yvan who has driven a fantastic season, but I also feel very happy for myself."