Colin Turkington - Impressed on WTCC outings in 2012

After a successful campaign in 2011, Colin Turkington is assessing his options ahead of the 2012 season.

The former British Touring Car champion has had a number of offers to stay in Sweden or make a dramatic return to the UK.

The Northern Irishman won the BTCC title in 2009 with West Surrey Racing and contested five rounds of the World series with the team the following season.

His performances in the WTCC impressed a number of people and Flash Engineering snapped him up for the inaugural Scandinavian Touring Car Championship this year (after the amalgamation of the Swedish and Danish series.)

Despite not knowing the circuits the Turkington finished fifth in the championship outscoring his team-mate Jan Nilsson - who was a double champion in the Swedish Championship.

Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports.com Turkington said: "I really enjoyed racing in Sweden. It was a new experience after racing in the UK for seven or eight years.

"It was a new challenge for me, obviously I know the BMW very well, but I didn't know the circuits so there was a lot to learn.

"It is a very competitive championship out there, so I was reasonably happy with how the season went.

Experience

"With the limited experience I had, I felt things went well and if I had a chance to go back, I feel that could put that experience to good use and do even better."

Alongside his commitments in Scandinavia, the Ulsterman also found time to contest three rounds of the World Touring Car Championship for Wiechers-Sport.

The BMW car may have been familiar to Turkington, but it was the first time he had driven with the new 1.6 turbo charged engine the FIA introduced to the WTCC.

"I knew there was a chance of doing the two Asia rounds at the end of the year, so when the chance came to drive at Donington in front of the home crowd and get experience of the new 1.6 turbo I took it.

Podium

"That's pretty much all it was and I didn't have much luck in the races (twice punted off the circuit by Gabriele Tarquini) but that experience worked well. In Japan and China we were much more on the pace and it was great to get back on the WTCC podium - we even came close to a race win.

"There's a lot of torque with the turbo engine so you have to refine your driving style a bit, but once you get your head around it it's not too bad. I felt pretty comfortable after the first practice session."

After racing only five weekends in 2010, despite being British champion, Turkington knows how hard finding budgets can be in the current economy. And he doesn't want to repeat that experience in 2012.

"I'm not going to be too picky to be honest (on where to race in 2012). I've got a few options. There is the possibility to stay in Sweden and also in the UK so hopefully one of those will happen for me.

"The most important thing for me is to be racing and in the current economic climate it's very easy to find yourself on the sidelines.

"I'd be more than happy to go back to Sweden, but we will see what happens in the next few months.

BTCC

"But if I had an opportunity to return to the British Championship I would seriously consider it.

"It's a strong championship particularly at the minute with 30 cars and the profile in the series is good so it's something that I would defiantly consider.

"I just need to get some concrete offers in place and then make my decision."