ANDY PRIAULX seems increasingly unlikely to break into the top three in the drivers standings before the end of this year’s WTCC campaign.

The Guernseyman suffered a frustrating afternoon in Imola yesterday, finishing 15th and ninth and failed to pick up a single point.

Prospects of a much bigger haul seemed encouraging when, having qualified seventh on the grid, he was lying eighth on the penultimate lap of the opening race.

That would have put him on pole for the second race but, nudged off the track into the dust by Alain Menu, the three-times world champion lost three places.

After rediscovering the tarmac he brilliantly passed two cars in the same manoeuvre to get back to ninth, but with his car damaged he slipped off again and this time it sent him back several places.

Starting from 15th in the second race it was always going to be a major challenge to get in the points and although he picked his way through the field he was one place away from scoring at the chequered flag.