DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing’s potential-filled maiden season with its striking Alfa Romeo Giulietta edges closer to a conclusion this weekend when the penultimate event of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship takes place at Silverstone.

Going into rounds 25, 26 and 27 of the 2018 campaign, the Swindon team and driver Rob Austin are confident the Northamptonshire venue will provide an opportunity to continue the strong consistency displayed a couple of weeks ago at Knockhill in Scotland.

While Austin did want more from the annual visit north of the border in terms of results, to chalk-up scores in all three races – a best finish of ninth coming in the second outing – provided a considerable boost for the squad.

In a year where shocking misfortune has had a major role to play, limiting the team to one podium finish and a total of 14 points results, the consistent run at Knockhill was a welcome turnaround and one which the squad hopes can be replicated this coming.

Austin said: “I hope overall we can have another clean weekend.

“While the results at Knockhill weren’t quite what we wanted, they were still solid and we put together three competitive races without any real dramas for a change.

“I really do hope we can challenge at Silverstone and extract the performance we know is there.

“Silverstone is a short track, and we’ve obviously got over 30 cars in the championship this year, but I don’t think space in qualifying will be an issue – even at Knockhill it wasn’t that bad and Silverstone is obviously much wider.

“I don’t envisage any issues there so hopefully that will mean we can have a good run in qualifying, start well up the order and put together three strong races.”

Even with the misfortune which has impacted the squad’s first year with the Giulietta, Austin remains in touch with the top six in the Independents Trophy driver standings and could make significant inroads with a strong weekend at Silverstone.