Rob Austin aiming for podiums at all circuits

Rob Austin says he and his team should be aiming for podiums at every meeting of the 2014 British Touring Car Championship.

Austin says the team is heading into the new season full of optimism after a “highly encouraging” winter testing programme which has improved the performance of both Audi A4s.

The Rockingham race winner is confident of success at the season opener at Brands Hatch, where he memorably led the first race in 2013, and later suffered an enormous accident at Paddock Hill Bend.

Austin said: “Brands Hatch is where it all starts again and if we can show the same sort of form there as we did last March – this time across all three races – then that’d be the perfect start. But I want more than that – much more. I want us to be pushing for podiums at all ten race events and I genuinely believe that is realistic.

“Everyone in the team is asking more of themselves and the car. I know they will all deliver – the rest is up to me and I’m hungrier than at any time in my career to win. There’s an added pressure to perform for all the fans who’ve so kindly invested in the Rob Austin Racing Owners Club scheme – I’ll be wearing all their pictures on my roof with great pride.”

Former GT racer Hunter Abbott is set for his first season in the BTCC as team-mate to Austin.

He said: “This time last year I was shouting at the TV watching Rob get an awesome start and leading the first race of the season. Being on the grid myself this year is a great feeling and I’m really happy to be back at Rob Austin Racing.

“I’m looking forward to my first experience of Touring Car racing and being back at Brands after a couple of years away. For me Brands is all about gaining experience in the car and on a BTCC grid, building on the couple of days testing I’ve done so far and converting from GT to BTCC driving styles.”