Experts heap praise on lone Brit Andy

EXPERT opinion says that Andy Priaulx has as good a chance as anyone of winning the 2003 European Touring Car Championship. Autosport magazine writer Edd Straw has been following Priaulx's campaign and he described it as 'outstanding'.

'To be in contention at this stage of your first season is a superb achievement in itself; to win it would be something very special,' said Straw.

'It is quite an impressive performance to have done this with a team that is not the front-line works BMW. Jorg Muller drives for the Schnitzer team that is seen as the main BMW team, whereas Priaulx is the only driver for BMW Great Britain.

'The drivers he is racing against and beating are considered to be among the best in the world of touring car racing.

'If he continued this form into his second season, he would establish himself as one of those top drivers, if he has not done so already.'

Straw described Priaulx's visit to Oschersleben as the 'ideal weekend' for his title ambitions.

The Guernseyman responded with his third victory of the campagn.

'In terms of the championship, he had an excellent weekend and is as well placed as anybody to win it,' Straw said.

'He will be very heavy at Estoril, in terms of ballast, and it will be difficult for him to win there, but if he can pick up some solid points, it will stand him in good stead. His aim will be to get to Monza in touch and keep the ballast relatively low.

'It has got to the stage where one bad weekend can put you out of contention, but if Priaulx can go on at the rate he has been going and get four decent finishes, he will have every chance of being champion.'

Priaulx's employers are certainly happy with how he has done for the team.

'We're extremely delighted about Andy's performance; he has certainly done an outstanding job,' said BMW UK's motorsport manager Peter Walker.

'To race with a new team, an unfamiliar car and on lots of circuits that he hasn't even see before, we are absolutely delighted that he currently lies second in the championship.'

His first and third-place finishes at Oschersleben at the weekend have put the Guernseyman just five points behind Muller in the standings with two meetings remaining.

'It is great for me to be second in the championship,' said Priaulx after his latest victory.

'This was a BMW circuit and I wanted to be sure that I made it a BMW circuit. I managed to get a couple of good results, but the next races in Estoril and Monza are going to be very difficult for us.

'The fight for the championship is wide open for everybody.'

But being the perfectionist that he is, Priaulx was quick to point out that it was not an error-free meeting for him.