INIMITABLE touring car race winner and ‘fan-favourite’ Rob Austin has been confirmed as Handy Motorsport’s new driver for the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

The announcement, made at the annual Autosport International Show at Birmingham NEC, is seen as a “game-changer” for the Swindon-based outfit, according to team principal Simon Belcher.

Austin, who has spent the past five seasons in the BTCC at the wheel of an Audi A4 with his eponymous Rob Austin Racing team, will pilot a brand new Toyota Avensis in 2016 – marking a return to front-wheel drive for the 34-year-old for the first time in almost a decade.

“I’m really excited to be joining forces with Handy Motorsport,” said Austin. “The new car is a lot more suited to the (championship) regulations than my Audis were and through this deal, we’re combining the best bits of both teams. I think we should be able to do a really good job and spring some surprises.

“There will be some adapting back to front-wheel drive but if you can drive, you can drive. It’s hard work organising the money, running a team, sorting the sponsorship and driving as well, so I’m looking forward to focusing on the thing I do best, rather than spreading myself so thin. This really is a perfect opportunity.”

One of the other key aspects of the deal sees personnel from RAR joining the existing Handy Motorsport structure, which is already supported, from an engineering perspective, by successful BTCC squad Speedworks Motorsport.

Team boss Belcher, who himself hopes to continue in the BTCC as a driver this year in the team’s original Avensis, said: “It goes without saying; we are absolutely ecstatic to announce Rob as our new driver for 2016.

“He’s a quality driver, a proven race-winner in touring cars, and brings a huge amount of experience to the team.

“We’ve been discussing the possibility of working together for a while and, thanks to a new sponsor package, we’ve been able to put this programme together.

“We’re at the start of a very exciting period in the team’s BTCC story and very much looking forward to making big strides this season.”