New Malden’s Tom Onslow-Cole endured a “disheartening” return to reality as his British Touring Car Championship campaign hit the buffers last weekend.

The 26-year-old finished 15th and 11th at Oulton Park on Sunday, as well as suffering a disappointing retirement when well-placed in race three.

However, Onslow-Cole admitted he was only downbeat because of the excellence of three top-four finishes achieved in the previous round at Thruxton.

The championship now moves on to Croft on June 23, a circuit similar to Oulton Park, much to Onslow-Cole’s consternation.

He said: “We did not get what we wanted from the car at Oulton.

“We are still new to it having only had it for four weekends, and it’s set-up is not entirely suited to the intricate Oulton circuit.

“Unfortunately Croft is very similar, it has a lot of turns, and is hard on the tyres and the brakes.

“We’re still working on being able to unleash the right kind of power over those circuits.

“But to be ninth in the standings in a car that was only completed the day before the first meeting, is absolutely excellent. However, I cannot help looking back on the weekend without feeling disheartened.”

Onslow-Cole, racing in a VW Passat CC with Team Hard, has only two weeks to prepare for Croft.

The short interlude will restrict the team’s ability to tinker with the car’s set-up, only allowing a strip down and rebuild – following damage to the VW in a tasty final round at Oulton Park, which ended in Onslow-Cole’s retirement with a puncture.

He said: “The reverse grid final race is normally frenetic, and although it’s not been too bad so far this season, last weekend was a bit fraught.

“There was a lot of rubbing, a lot of defending of positions and attacking.

“I got some damage on the front of the car when I clipped a tyre stack on one on the corners, but we were doing a good job.

“It was a shame when the puncture struck because there was only one lap to go, but it is one of those things.

“Our biggest target of the weekend was to try some new things with the car in qualifying and finish in the top 10, which we did, in 10th, so there are some positives from the weekend.”