Double delight

ANDY PRIAULX is the king of the touring cars. In the early hours of yesterday morning local time, the Guernseyman produced a near faultless display to retain his World Touring Car Championship by a single point.

The BMW Team UK driver led throughout the first race in Macau to claim his fifth victory of the season and then climbed from eighth on the starting grid to finish fifth in race two and guarantee his third successive FIA touring car crown, the first of which was under the European TCC banner.

'I am not sure I know where to start to explain exactly how I feel at this moment. On top of the world, I suppose, is correct but my emotions are all over the place,' said Priaulx. 'I have just had one of the hardest races of my entire career under massive pressure and have done exactly what I wanted to do - win the World Touring Car Championship again.

'With the end of the race I was able to let the emotions take over and I was on cloud nine.'

As was the case 12 months ago, Priaulx's family and many friends made the journey to China to support him.

He said that returning to the pits having secured the title had been a huge release of emotion.

His supporters, the Racing Bart Mampaey team and the man himself all shed tears of joy.

'Last year was easier as there were only three of us fighting for the title and I more or less had it sewn up in race one. This year, there were nine of us. I don't reckon if I had been in F1 the pressure could have been greater.'