Nash joins Team Aon in WTCC

The 26-year-old is the reigning British Touring Car Independent Drivers Champion after a successful first full season in the championship.

He will partner Tom Chilton in a 'Global' Ford Focus, fitted with a 1.6 litre turbo engine built to FIA rules.

The cars are built and prepared by Surrey based Arena International Motorsport, who developed and raced the car last year in the BTCC, taking two race wins.

And having competed against Team Aon, Nash is sure they can hit the ground running when the WTCC gets underway in Italy at Monza on March 11.

Nash said: "Taking the step up into the WTCC is a great challenge and very exciting. The whole Team Aon and Ford package is fantastic. With Ford's support and Team AON's detailed knowledge of the car I'm hugely looking forward to what I hope will be another rewarding season.

"Of course, as a reigning British Champion it has been a difficult decision to move away from the National series. I had offers to stay but quite honestly the lure of world competition was too strong to resist.

"I can't wait to go wheel to wheel with people like 3-time World Champion Yvan Muller, Rob Huff, Alain Menu and Gabriele Tarquinii. I've grown up watching them race and I'm itching to get behind the wheel and make my own mark too.

"Helping the team to develop the Focus is also something I'm really looking forward to. Last year with the Triple Eight team budget was tight and anyway the Vauxhall cars we used were pretty much fully developed.

"The Focus though is new and already in pre-season testing I've found a few things that enabled me and my new team-mate lap to close to qualifying record speed."