Alex Martin has taken a temporary step back from the British Touring Car Championship after a frustrating year last season.
Despite running the same car as championship contenders Andrew Jordan and Mat Jackson last season, Martin struggled to make it into the points as he had problems getting to grips with the car.
Martin called a 2017 entry a “waste of time”.
“It’s a shame, I’ve enjoyed it, but I think it’s the right decision,” Martin told TouringCars.net.
“Obviously I wasn’t getting the most out of it [Ford Focus ST] because two guys were at the front getting podiums in an identical car and I was struggling to get a point. So I think it’s the right decision.”
There was a possible alternative option as Martin considered buying a new car for the 2017 season, one that would have suited him better, but decided against it due to the costs involved.
“Just to buy a car would have been a year and a half’s worth of touring car budget. And it you were building your own car, unless you’re building one that somebody else has already made, you have to pay for the development of the bodywork. So we got into a situation where it just wasn’t going to work.
“If the right car had come up, for the right price, we would have bitten their hands off, but it just wasn’t going to happen.”
Martin’s TBL and car will be sold to another entry.
The 29 year old will switch to the Porsche Carrera Cup, where he’ll run alongside his father.
The hope is to soon return to the BTCC soon, but this time he won’t be making the mistake of going for a front-wheel drive car.
Feature image credit: Caroline Rhea
