Thompson absent during the second round of the season

We learned today that British driver James Thompson will not be present for the second round of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) season, which is set to take place next week in Puebla, Mexico.

Thompson must race this 2008 season with the N.Technology team, just like last year. However, the team, which was hit hard by Alfa Romeo’s withdrawal from racing, was forced to opt for a new model: the Honda Accords.

The team had already announced a few weeks before the start of the season in Curitiba, Brazil, that they would not be ready in time, but will ultimately delay their season by an additional round. The team hopes to be fully ready for the Valencia meeting in May.

Mauro Sipsz, the director of N. Technology, stated: « We are working very hard to be reliable and competitive upon our return to WTCC. »

« Unfortunately, the work is not yet finished and we must prepare the car as best we can before launching it into the deep end. »

Thompson will be able to rely on official tests conducted in Valencia on April 15th and 16th to finalize the arrival of the Honda for the third event of 2008.

In Valencia, we will have a first impression of our performance level… We really hope that our efforts will be rewarded! concluded the German.