Nick Tandy is aiming to move up in the motorsport world after becoming the first British driver to clinch the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland title.
A third place at Hockenheim last weekend was sufficient to secure the Konrad Motorsport driver the crown, eight points ahead of fellow Brit Sean Edwards, and it was a result that the 26-year-old declared is “the biggest thing that has ever happened in my life”.
Asked about what the future now holds, the racer from Pavenham said: “There will now be lots of hard work to capitalise on what I have done but it is something I don’t have an answer for.
"Without question, it is likely that more opportunities will arise, but doesn’t automatically mean I will do this or that. The German championship doesn’t get much coverage in Britain but over there and in Europe it is a very big thing. It is great and will hopefully help in the future, whatever that journey may be.
"Winning has brought the championship to the attention of the British media because, before I started racing in Germany, I wasn’t really on the radar, but now I’ve been pushed into the public eye.
“It would be nice to perhaps get on the Porsche global motorsport programme and be a part of their factory of drivers and be an ambassador for the brand.
“I know they are looking at Le Mans and winning that outright, but it is not just Porsche, and maybe there is the chance with the likes of BMW or Mercedes if the call is made.”
But it is unlikely that Tandy will return to defend his German title.
He said: “It would be nice but the chances are slim, but not out of the question. But I have done it for two years now, with winning it the goal, and I’d like to move onto something else.
“The biggest thing in European motorsport, other than F1 is DTM - the German Touring Car Championship.”
On the victory in Hockenheim, in which he also become only the second non-German to win the Carrera Cup, Tandy added: “Porsche is obviously German and with the likes of [Formula 1 World Champions] Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel it shows they breed great drivers, so to go on their home turf and bring the title back is immensely pleasing.
“It was a relief. I’ve been trying to win the championship for two years and so when I crossed the line it was emotional but also a moment of accomplishment.”
Tandy also hopes that the championship victory can bring into sharper view his dream of becoming a full time professional race car driver and he was quick to praise a man who has helped edge him closer to that reality.
“It’s been made all the possible with support and sponsorship from Andy Sharpe of Draincare in Bedford, who is not only a good friend but also sometimes a boss when I’m not racing.
“I’m on the road to racing all the time - it is my ideal job.”
Tandy’s triumph came at the end of a sad week for motorsport as first former Bedford School pupil Dan Wheldon died in the IndyCar 300 in Las Vegas and then MotoGP motorcycle rider Marci Simoncelli lost his life in the Malaysian Grand Prix seven days later.
Carrera Cup champion Tandy hopes that advances in safety can be made as the tragedies brought back memories of his racing driver brother Joe, who was killed in a car accident last year.
“It does go to show how dangerous the sport is but thoughts go out to the families,”
Tandy said of the deaths of Wheldon and Simoncelli. “I’ve been in that situation when I lost my brother and it is incredibly saddening.
“Those two were incredibly successful so it is a loss to the motorsport community in general, as we’ll never get to see them again.
“Hopefully we learn from what has happened and push for better safety. Unfortunately, the only way to learn from an accident is to work out what went wrong.
Fortunately, most of us walk away from accidents and are then able to look at what happened.”
