Priaulx is aiming to close gap in Estoril

Thursday 10th July 2008, 2:30PM BST.

ANDY PRIAULX has crucial WTCC business to attend to at the weekend – before returning to the cockpit of a Formula One machine.

The three-time defending world champion is in Portugal for rounds 11 and 12 of this year’s series having come away from the last meeting in Brno feeling ‘quite despondent’ due to his lack of pace.

However, despite enduring a disappointing weekend in the Czech Republic, where he picked up a solitary point only after Rob Huff’s exclusion from the second race, Priaulx remains fourth in the drivers’ standings on 34 points, 24 behind leader Gabriele Tarquini.

‘I am now looking forward to the next race in Estoril and my personal aim is to get some more points in the bag,’ said the Guernseyman, who is the top BMW driver in the championship.