A delegation from Team Aon visited the WTCC event at Shanghai Tianma last weekend. Arena Motorsport principal Mike Earle, his commercial partner Grahame Chilton and BTCC race winner Tom Chilton had meetings with WTCC promoter Marcello Lotti and Jost Capito, director of Ford Global Motorsport Business Development.

“We are going ahead with our WTCC preparations,” commented Earle. “We have built a Ford Focus to S2000 specifications and we will start testing with Tom Chilton before the end of this month. As an Independent Constructor, our team preparation for the 2012 WTCC season is enabled through the S2000 development support from Ford.”

Grahame Chilton added: “Our aim is to build a three-car team and besides Tom we are in touch with a number of prospective leading touring car drivers with international experience, with the aim being to launch a team that is competitive from the outset.”

Marcello Lotti commented: “I am obviously excited by the fact that a new and glamorous brand with worldwide commercial interests may become involved in the championship. I’m also pleased that the programme will be run by such a professional team and will involve a young and promising driver like Tom who emerged from a competitive national championship like the BTCC. This addition will provide WTCC with further competition and appeal.”