James Thompson not very comfortable about Nürburgring event

Lada Sport Rosneft’s James Thompson is one of a small number of drivers who is not looking forward to the Nürburgring Nordschleife round of this year’s FIA World Touring Car Championship, believing the event doesn’t suit the WTCC’s cars and offers a high risk of heavy damage.

Coming from the Circuit Moulay El Hassan in Marrakech, where Thompson was the only one of Lada’s drivers to leave the circuit without a wrecked car, the two-time British Touring Car champion voiced his concerns during the test session on Tuesday.

“I’m not really comfortable driving here, to be honest,” admitted Thompson to TouringCarTimes. “It is a race track of course, but I don’t think it fits our cars really, they were not designed to be raced at the Nordschleife.”

The Brit said he is concerned over safety at the 21km track, dubbed “The Green Hell”

“If we have an accident it’s not going to be fun at all, let’s say it’s not the event I’m looking forward to the most on the calendar. That’s probably down to me getting old, though!”, he joked, having turned 41 last weekend.

Despite his concerns, Thompson feels the charm of the Nordschleife circuit. “I’ve driven an Audi RS 4 round the track and I did feel a lot of respect for all the people who race here and for the history of the track. Undoubtedly it is fascinating, and a real challenge to face.”