Former Formula 1 rostrum-finisher and Le Mans 24 Hours winner Mark Blundell will return to racing in 2019 in the British Touring Car Ch🉐ampionship with T𒈔rade Price Cars Racing.

Blundell will get behind the wheel of an Audi S3 alongs🔯ide new teammate Jake Hill on his return to racing.

Blundell, whose impressive F1 career saw him compete for McLaren, Brabham, Tyrrell and Ligier, will make his touring car debut at𓄧 the age of 52 and is relishing the fres♕h challenge.

“Once the opportunity arose to get back behind the wheel, it was something I was 🌊very keen to make happen,” Blundell said. “The British Touring Car Championship is a fantastic series that I have always wanted to race in but it has never been possible until now.

“I have🔯 been lucky enough to have had a fantastic motor racing career to date and to have been a part of British motorsport for manyꦰ years. The sport is in a fantastic place across the UK at this current time and the BTCC and the overall TOCA package is a major part of that, providing an excellent platform for top-level professional drivers and many bright talents behind the wheel.

“The strength of the series is shown by the thousands of fans that join trackside up and down the country and the millions more that tun🌃e in from home on ITV.

“It is going to be a new challenge for me but one I am really excited by. Alan Gow and I have been chatting for a number of years about taking part in the BTCC and I’m delighted that the time is right to final꧃ly make this step. At my age, I want 🐻to make sure that I am taking on such a prestigious championship while I am still geared up to do so competitively.”

Blundell will also announce an “exciting partnership” 🧔expected to reveal the formation of the Trade Price Car Racing squad, while his race seat will also work in combin🐟ation with his ongoing role as CEO of driver management firm MB Partners.

“My participatio♌n in the series has come about dueꦅ to a hugely exciting partnership that we are looking forward to announcing in the coming weeks,” he said. “It has been a long process to get to this point so I do want to thank my Chairman and my fellow directors at MB Partners as well as many friends from across the sport in making this all possible.

“It will be fantastic news for the BTCC, bringing a global brand onto the grid, and myself and the MB Partners team can’t wait to get to work ܫon many of the exciting plans that are already in place.”