The 28-year-old Thompson, who’s regarded by many sequence insiders as a champion of the longer term in the best circumstances, is now working flat-out with the Sunbury squad on making an attempt to place a deal collectively to begin the 2024 season at Donington Park on the finish of this month.
Thompson, who has at all times struggled to lift a funds to compete within the BTCC, didn’t register on the timing at Manufacturers as a result of his BMW 330e M Sport was not fitted with a transponder.
That was as a result of he was not working with the Cosworth-supplied hybrid enhance system, which means he was roughly 30bhp down on the opposite WSR BMWs of Jake Hill, Colin Turkington and Adam Morgan.
Regardless of this, Thompson was clocked within the 48.3s bracket on two separate WSR stopwatches and his onboard knowledge logging, which might have put him within the prime 10 within the occasions on his first day in a rear-wheel-drive BTCC automobile.
Within the early working within the moist morning session, WSR recorded Thompson at a 53.50s on his very first run throughout the opening hour, at a time when the tempo was set by reigning champion Ash Sutton’s Alliance Racing Ford on 53.350s, with Hill the quickest BMW on 53.363s.
“With the hybrid being an even bigger leap this 12 months [due to the new BTCC regulations doubling the boost gain], I’m pretty proud of that,” Thompson instructed Autosport.
“Within the moist, I received out of the automobile within the morning saying I’d be prepared to enter a qualifying session – I used to be over the moon with it.
“We made some adjustments for the dry, and I used to be completely satisfied to really feel these adjustments.
“In fact, I’ve received my head round front-wheel drive and what issues do, however rear-wheel drive is clearly totally different, so it was good to have a little bit play and go in a course I like, which is stiffer.”
Bobby Thompson, Staff BMW
Photograph by: Gary Hawkins
Thompson was engineered for the day by John Waterman, who has led improvement of the 3-Sequence over the previous few seasons and ran Turkington from 2020 to 2023.
“Within the moist we simply received our eye in and made a number of adjustments,” added Thompson.
“I didn’t care what the opposite guys did with the automobile – it was nearly getting comfy, and clearly they’ve pushed the BMW for years, so that they had a pre-feeling coming into the take a look at of what they’d wish to really feel.
“I used to be coming in from scratch, so I might go in my very own course.”
Due to lack of funds for his test-only deal, Thompson was restricted to at least one set of recent Goodyear slicks for efficiency runs.
“Now I do know what I do know, I’d have cherished one other set of shoes – I reckon I might have introduced it right down to a 48.1s,” he stated.
“Thanks to WSR and Dick [Bennetts, team principal] for what they’ve executed to get me out on the day.
“Hopefully issues can work their magic and it could get me on the grid.”
Bobby Thompson, Staff BMW
Photograph by: Gary Hawkins
Bennetts stated: “The thought behind the take a look at was to generate publicity. Does that flip into cash? We don’t know.
“He did a really first rate job contemplating it was his first day in a rear-wheel-drive touring automobile.
“He had lots to study, for instance about brake stability, and that takes some time with anybody, however he did very nicely.
“We had been very impressed along with his suggestions, his perspective, and he didn’t have any spins.
“He’s a pleasant man off the observe and good to work with on the observe, and he did a terrific job first trip.”
Whereas the chances are in opposition to Thompson being within the automobile for subsequent week’s official take a look at at Croft, the D-day for whether or not he begins the season is the next week’s BTCC Launch Day and take a look at at Donington Park – scene of the opening spherical.
“I don’t come from cash, and even a little bit bit of cash in motorsport phrases is an insane sum of money,” stated Thompson.
“We’d like some funding, and we’re taking a look at each avenue we’ve received.
“We’ve received some irons within the fireplace, however lots’s received to return collectively.
“We’ll hold pushing – we’ve received the very best individuals on it.”