Motorbase recently made a massive statement of intent for the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with the arrival of 2013 champion Andrew Jordan.

Jordan has wasted no time in settling in with the Wrotham based team and has been out testing the Ford Focus at Brands Hatch as he prepares for another title assault in 2016.

Speaking to Kent Sports News about making the move to Motorbase, Andrew said: “It is very exciting, and it is a new challenge for me and one that I am very up for. They were obviously very quick at the end of last year.

“I have spoken to Motorbase on many occasions over the years and this time everything fell into place and they have got a huge passion to win. This year taught me that passion counts for a lot within a team or people at the top of a team, so to have that with David and Oly and Motorbase and all the guys there do it to win and that is why I do touring cars to win.

“I am really looking forward to it, I had a test in the car already and I am feeling very comfortable in it, it felt very good so I am looking forward to getting started.”

The move to Motorbase for the 2016 season seems to be the natural next step for Andrew with the form that the team showed at the end of the 2015 season.

He added: “They obviously haven’t won the championship before but I honestly believe that they can. They have all the ingredients to do it and if I can bring a little bit of experience from where I have done it in the past then great and we can work together, win the championship and win races.

“I am sure that we will be a championship contender come the end of the year if we get a bit of luck as well.”

With the form of the Ford Focus with the Mountune engine last season and the experience of Jordan Motorbase could be a real force to be reckoned with in the coming season, and real title contenders.

The 14 time race winner, said: “That’s the plan that is why I do it. We are going to go abroad and do a lot of testing and hopefully come out swinging at the first round at Brands Hatch.

“If we have done a good enough job we will be challenging for pole position and races wins there, it is going to be very tough as always but I think we have got some great potential to come out and be the car and the driver to beat.”

Jordan who has also competed in the World Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill, is seeing increase in competition in the BTCC year on year as a good thing.

He added: “It is the entertainment business in a way, and you have to put bums on seats and the touring cars does that you know.

“There was five of us went to Brands this year with a mathematical chance of winning the championship, and that was after nine hard fought weekends. If we can just be consistent and score points as much as possible, then you always need a bit of luck because of how close the championship is.

“I think it is going to be even more competitive than ever with the amount of good drivers and good teams there are now. You really need to be on your ‘A’ game and consistency has got to be the main point of call to try and win the championship.”

Andrew has already been behind the wheel of the Ford Focus at Brands Hatch the team’s local circuit for what developed into an excellent test session.

The 26-year-old said: “Initially it was just going to be a bit of a session to get me into it and the feel of the car, but actually the weather was great and there was only four cars on track, so it actually turned into a very productive day.

“We managed to worth through a lot of set-up stuff which is great, and found some gains with things on the car. Straight away we were up to speed and working through a test program which was more than expected at a test this time of the year with the weather, so it was a nice surprise.”

That one bonus test session might work to Andrew and Motorbase’s advantage with the winter now setting in, as they have data and information which can be analysed before the next sessions get underway in the spring time.

“The track time is always valuable, and you know you are always looking for extra time, so any track time and any driver feedback with extra days to look at it is a benefit.

“We will go into the winter and work hard through that and see where we come out at the start of April at Brands Hatch.”

Andrew is looking forward to working with David Bartrum and Oly Collins as the season progresses and working towards race wins with their passion for success.

He said: “A driver shouldn’t have to be getting geed up to be passionate, a driver should be passionate anyway. If the driver is passionate and the team is passionate then it brings it all together and you all try and achieve one goal, and that is to win.

“I have been really impressed with the team and Oly and David so far, I have spent a lot of time and spoken with them a lot, moving things forward from sponsor stuff and car unveiling and everything like that.

“It has been a joy to work with them so far and I can’t wait to take them to their first drivers’ championship. The aim once you have won the championship before, anything other than winning is a disappointment so I am aiming to get the championship back, it will be tough but that is the aim and that is what I will be going for.”

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