» WTCC: O’Young splits with STR SEAT

Darryl O’Young has parted ways with the Special Tune Racing team and will return to his old home, Bamboo Engineering, for the final three events of the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

The Hong Kong-based driver had previously driven for the Independent Trophy team before switching to the new Special Tune Racing SEAT operation at the start of the 2012 season.

But the marriage has not always been a completely happy one.

O’Young has endured several retirements this season as the new outfit got to grips with the new – and unreliable – SEAT 1.6-litre turbo engine. His best finishes this season have been a pair of seventh places at the Slovakia Ring and Curitiba.

His time with the Bamboo Engineering squad has been rather more fruitful, and O’Young has managed to finish fourth and sixth respectively in the previous two Independent Trophy seasons, with highlights including several class wins.

“I had two great years with the Bamboo team and having seen the progress [driver] Alex MacDowall has made this season, I know it’s a great package,” he said in a team media release.

“I’m very much looking forward to driving the Cruze again and I have to thank Richard, the team and the sponsors Interush and LKM for making this possible.

“It’s going to be a great end to the season and I hope I can get some more podiums for the team to repay them for their belief in me and my ability to showcase their car to its full potential.”

O’Young will take over the Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T previously driven by Pasquale di Sabatino, Michel Nykjaer and Robb Holland this season.

Special Tune Racing is yet to announce if it will appoint a replacement for O’Young for the final three flyaway rounds at Suzuka, Shanghai and Macau, or if it will scale back to a one-car operation with Tom Boardman at the wheel.