Plato “absolutely confident” of competitive 2013

Jason Plato says he is “absolutely confident” he will be competitive in the 2013 British Touring Car Championship as he prepares to enter his second year with the MG KX Momentum Racing team.

The two-time title winner said a winter of working on the suspension of the Triple Eight-engineered MG6 GT has paid dividends, and should improve its performance in all conditions. It was at a sodden Brands Hatch in October where Plato’s 2012 title chances fell away, with the Oxford driver bemoaning the MG’s performance in the wet.

But he is confident the tweaks made over the winter will not only help his speed in the rain, but also improve driveability in the dry. In what was originally billed as a learning year, the veteran of 14 BTCC campaigns won five races in 2012, and was a serious title challenger throughout.

He also jokingly said he expects rapid new team-mate Sam Tordoff to be “a pain in the arse” in 2013.

Plato spoke at length to TouringCarTimes at MG headquarters in Longbridge this morning, about his hopes for the new season, his main challengers, his new team-mate, the KX Akademy and the state of the BTCC.

Plato on….the 2013 BTCC

“I’m really excited about this year. At Silverstone and Rockingham last year, we were praying not to have any rain, because we knew what the problem was with the car. But to try and improve its performance in the rain would mean you would have to go in a completely different direction, and we daren’t risk doing that because it could have upset our performance in the dry.
“And at that time, we were the quickest thing in the dry. It was very difficult to drive, and the reason for that is exactly the same reason it doesn’t work in the wet.
“Now we understand it, and we’ve had a winter to crunch the numbers, and work with the engineering simulators, we have a very clear direction to go in to make the suspension work.
“That data correlates with traditional engineering direction. Both are complementing each other, and both are saying ‘that is the way you need to go’.
“Another reason why I’m perky is that’s the way my experience tells me we should go. We have three different technologies all pointing to the same area.
“I’m pretty confident we will improve on our performance in the wet and in doing so, we will improve performance in terms of our driveability, and the consistency of the car, in the dry.
“Our engine supplier has come up trumps with some more power, so we are in good shape.
“I have a very fast team-mate and we have had a year working on the car. We are just in a better place with a better package.”

Plato on….challengers in 2013

“You can never discount anybody in this game. But history says come the end of the year, there will be three or four drivers in it. I’m sure the Hondas will be there, I’m pretty sure the BMWs are going to be up there, and I’m pretty sure Mat Jackson is going to be there.
“We are all set for an exciting year. One thing I am absolutely confident about is we will be competitive, and we have a very good chance of winning races. If you win enough of those, and you have reliability, then you can win a championship.”

Plato on…new team-mate Sam Tordoff

“From a selfish perspective, he is going to be a pain in the arse! But that is a good thing.
“In my early years I was racing against the likes of Yvan Muller, James Thompson, Alain Menu, and Rickard Rydell. And it is always good to have someone in there who is consistently snapping at your heels and occasionally showing you the way home. It just makes everyone raise their game and dig a bit deeper.
“I first noticed Sam when he jumped in the Vectra at Brands Hatch, when I won the championship in 2010. He did a really good job there.
“I think he learned an awful lot and performed very well. In my role with KX Akademy, we had a keen eye on him all through last year, and I think he is going to surprise a few people.
“He is certainly quick, and he has certainly got the right mindset. He has got the ingredients to go places.
“He is going to be working not only with us in the team, but in the KX Akademy, to try and improve all aspects of his performance. He is going to do a really great job.”

Plato on….the KX Akademy

“In terms of our timing, we are a bit ahead of ourselves. It wasn’t really in our forecast to get someone in touring cars this early. This is really our first year. But the opportunity was there and it made sense.
“I realised there was an area of motorsport which turned me on when I was with SEAT, being a mentor to the Cupra guys, and discovered Rob Huff.
“In latter years I have worked as one of the main judges in the McLaren/Autosport Young Driver of the Year award. I really enjoy that role in trying to help and bring people along.
“The idea behind it was pure marketing – how to increase the brand exposure and sales of KX. But we managed to create a programme which does that and gives a bit back to young guys trying to get somewhere in motorsport.
“It is a great thing to be involved with and to be the driving force behind it.”

Plato on….the state of the BTCC

“I think if you believe everything you read in the papers it is in better than rude health. I think come the first race, some of the numbers which people are alluding to perhaps won’t happen, but nevertheless, it is in good shape.
“We have got another champion back on the grid in Colin Turkington, who is a great guy, a great advocate for the series, and a great ambassador for what we do.
“It is going to be a much more competitive, open field this year.
“Spectators love it, the attendance numbers are growing year on year, the TV is growing year on-year – it is in really good shape.
“This is why iconic brands like Tesco, Castrol and MG want to be in the BTCC, because it delivers.”

Plato on….racing in the BTCC

“It is what gets me up in the morning. I’m a busy bloke – I am a director of the BRDC, I’ve got a marketing company, a TV career – there is a lot going on.
“But what glues me together is the racing. It is a perfect area for me where the racing’s fierce, it’s got a good profile and I don’t have to travel around the world on aeroplanes.
“That sounds great, but actually it’s dull as ditchwater. I’ve got a young family and can spend time with my kids, instead of sitting in a hotel in Shanghai. It is just a perfect place for me to do what I do, and I’m a lucky lad to have that opportunity.”