James Thompson is a mercenary. Again.

[jamiebae]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97270

'So how many wheelbarrows of Roubles will I get?'

[ajprice]

<meercat voice> Hallo Jimbob and velcom. Heer is ze new raycing carr for you to driver.</meercat voice>

[EDLT]

I was hoping he'd be back in the BTCC. WTCC is always a bit dull imo.

[RJB_666]

Really wish he would get a full time seat in a half decent car. Not one that is 3-4 seconds off the pace expecting him to drag it straight up to the sharp end of the grid. I still reckon he would have won the BTCC in the Civic had he had a full season that year. I was hoping AON Ford might have snapped him up alongside Chilton for the WTCC. I know there would have to be development with the Focus but surely not as much as the Lada.

[jamiebae]

'Your new company car Mr Thompson'

[Henry Fiddleton]

Wasted his career away since leaving BTCC. A few races a year, some in North European series, a la Turkington, is a massive shame.

[EDLT]

dibbers006 said:

Quite a fine beast he will be siring...

Plato did OK with one of these:

[MrKipling43]

ajprice said:

<meercat voice> Hallo Jimbob and velcom. Heer is ze new raycing carr for you to driver.</meercat voice>

Is it wrong that I REALLY want that?

[Allyc85]

I will still support him but its such a waste of talent

[onesickpuppy]

MrKipling43 said:

ajprice said:

<meercat voice> Hallo Jimbob and velcom. Heer is ze new raycing carr for you to driver.</meercat voice>

Is it wrong that I REALLY want that?

Me too!

[jamiebae]

EDLT said:

Plato did OK with one of these:

With one key difference - JP's car was prepared by the legendary race car builders at RML. JT's car will be nailed together by a crack team at Scuderia Tolyatti, hand picked for their ability to wield a REALLY BIG hammer, and still drive in a straight line after drinking half a litre of low grade vodka/petrol (delete as appropriate, same stuff, different label) and punching a bear to the ground.

[onesickpuppy]

Looks a bit like this:



No? Ok then

[rallycross]

Well last time out in the Lada Thomo got it going quite well think he was up into the top 5 (back in the days when WTCC had proper grids).

His team mate van-largen was good at crashing;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgtmVQApw9o&fea...



Thomo in his Lada, documentary first time round

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6L0zzYkC_A

But if you are going to crash a Lada this is the way to do it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtmvN9Y7GBA&fea...

[Giles240]

I raced against thisonce in Lithuania, it was surprisingly quick!

[noosh]

RJB_666 said:

Really wish he would get a full time seat in a half decent car. Not one that is 3-4 seconds off the pace expecting him to drag it straight up to the sharp end of the grid. I still reckon he would have won the BTCC in the Civic had he had a full season that year. I was hoping AON Ford might have snapped him up alongside Chilton for the WTCC. I know there would have to be development with the Focus but surely not as much as the Lada.

Its surprised me to be honest that he hasn't been offered a full season anywhere in the btcc. In numerous interviews he's sung the series' praises and from his stats and performances clearly very talented but I'd be assuming (ass of me and at least someone else) theres far more going on behind the scenes.
2011 had constant talk of him returning but rarely any real drives.

Lada have or did, a reasonably successful wtcc model did they not?
At least swifter and pointyer than the niva!

[IainW]

One of the best touring car drivers of my generation, that's for sure. The BTCC has been a poorer place without himself and Yvan Muller on the grid. Not a dig at the current series at all, I just miss the big names like those guys. It's sad that a driver like him can't get a fulltime seat. I liked the Ladas when they were last in the WTCC, they had that underdog thing about them.

He was the first BTCC driver I got an autograph from when I was a lad.

[telecat]

I imagine there are very few "paid" Touring car seats even in WTCC. BTCC appears to be more of a pay and drive formula unless it's your team!!

[playalistic]

ajprice said:

<meercat voice> Hallo Jimbob and velcom. Heer is ze new raycing carr for you to driver.</meercat voice>

I lol'd