Onslow-Cole is leaving it to the last minute to test brand new car in the BTCC

The new BTCC season starts this weekend at Brands Hatch, with Onslow-Cole still to get behind the wheel of his next generation touring car Volkswagen Passat.

The 25-year-old signed a three-year deal in January with Tony Gilham’s Team Hard – which enjoyed one top three finish last season – after finishing sixth last year with Team eBay Motors.

Onslow-Cole’s car is a new build, so new in fact it is not yet finished.

He said: “We haven’t been able to do any testing yet, but we’re hoping the car will be ready for testing on Thursday night.

“We’ll have track time on Friday, and it may seem last minute but I have every confidence in the product we’ve built.

“It may seem late, but the car has to be right. If we rush it through and something is wrong, then it can take all year to get right.

“It’s important to get the build right first time round.”

Since entering the BTCC in 2007, Onslow-Cole has spent six seasons moving from one team to another, so it was a surprise to some that he signed a three-year deal with Team Hard.

However, rather than prefering a nomadic existence, Onslow-Cole said it was not how he wanted to spend his career.

He said: “The past few seasons have not been ideal or how I wanted to do things.

“But I managed to strike a deal with Tony, and from a personal point of view it is perfect.

“Looking at it as a three-year project is not necessarily what we want to do, because we want to be winning the title by next year.

“The plan is to get the car right this year, get some wins under our belt and
then have a good winter in preparation for next year.

“This year might be difficult, but we’re looking for good results throughout the season.”

Meanwhile, team-mate Howard Fuller of Worcester Park will drive for Gilham on a part-season basis – the 20-year-old made his BTCC debut last year.

The BTCC kicks off on March 31, before going to Donington Park on April 21.