Matt Neal: “May the best man win!”

Matt Neal says he feels Honda could have an edge this weekend at Brands Hatch in the fight to secure the 2016 BTCC title.

The three-time champion heads into the weekend sitting third in the standings behind Sam Tordoff and his Honda team-mate Gordon Shedden, with 18 points covering the leading trio with three races to go.

With a further five drivers still in with a mathematical chance of the crown, the season finale seems set to be one of the most dramatic in recent memory with Neal insisting that the Dynamics-run squad was ready for the challenge ahead.

“We’ve had a bit of ill-fortune befall us at certain key stages that has cost us ground, but both of us go to Brands well in the hunt and prepared to throw caution to the wind and as a team, I don’t think anybody in the paddock works together better than ‘Flash’ and I do,” he said.

“Sam seems to have been looking over his shoulder a bit lately, but in truth the pressure will be on all of us. Anything can happen from unpredictable weather to end-of-term madness, and just one slip-up could spell the end of your championship bid.

“The GP layout should suit the Civic Type R with its excellent high-speed corner stability – it’s old-school, unspoilt by health and safety warriors and calls for a lot of commitment – but then equally, it will probably suit the other cars too, so it’ll definitely be game on. May the best man win!”