Alexandre Premat remains adamant that he will continue at Garry Rogers Motorsport next season when the team morphs into its new Volvo Polestar Racing guise.
Although Premat’s second year in the class has seen clear improvement over his 2012 campaign, several incidents have helped ensure that the Frenchman sits seven places behind his rookie team-mate Scott McLaughlin in the points standings.
Premat was a notable absentee from a Volvo Polestar press event at the recent Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, where McLaughlin – who has already received a road car from the manufacturer – was ‘officially welcomed’ to the Volvo family.
On track, Premat enjoyed one of his most encouraging weekends to date at Bathurst, making the Top 10 Shootout in his first time qualifying a car on the mountain circuit.
Strategy helped the combination of Premat and Greg Ritter looked like possible victory contenders in the race until a fuel filler issue at the car’s penultimate pitstop put paid to a result.
“Definitely next year I will be in the team with Volvo,” Premat told Speedcafe.com when asked of his future.
“I’m sure I will be. What I have done the last two or three races I was as quick as Scott (McLaughlin) and I’m still in the process of learning the tracks in V8 Supercars.
“I think Bathurst suited more my driving style and I think the Gold Coast suits me too and Phillip Island and Sydney as well.
“I’ve done the job. I can’t do better than what I’ve done.”
Having shied away from bidding on the silly season’s big name stars such as James Courtney, Tim Slade and Will Davison, Volvo Australia is remaining coy on its plans for the #34 S60 in 2014.
Importing a Swede, particularly from Polestar’s five-strong Scandinavian Touring Car Championship outfit, has been touted as a possibility since the program’s July launch.
Polestar’s managing director Christian Dahl confirmed to Speedcafe.com at Bathurst his company’s preference for running one of its own drivers on the grounds of it benefiting ongoing engine work.
“I think development wise, developing the engine and getting the feedback from the driver it would be a quicker start for us to have a driver that we have been dealing with before,” said Dahl.
“There is always a development curve together between and engineer and a driver to know what they mean when they say the words and everything.”
Polestar, however, is working on the V8 Supercars project as a paid supplier of technical assistance.
Volvo Australia, which is bankrolling GRM’s switch from Holden to Volvo, appears certain to have the biggest say when it comes to the decision.
The company’s managing director, Matt Braid, says that a decision may not come until the end of the year.
“There’s no strict rules or guidelines (on the nationality of the driver),” Braid told Speedcafe.com.
“It’s purely a mix of performance, presentation, how they conduct themselves and how they tie in with the brand.
“We are discussing our opportunities. I’d like to think that by the end of the year we will be able to find that second driver.”
This weekend will mark Premat’s first competitive outing on the Gold Coast, having been benched for the meeting last year.
