The FIA European Touring Car Cup seems like an appropriate place for James Thompson to have found outright success this year.

The bulk of his year has been spent in the Danish and British championships, with the odd bit of V8 Supercars in Australia and WTCC outings for Lada. His problem has been not doing all of any of it. So he’s possibly the most successful touring car driver in Europe, on aggregate, but without winning a national title.

He could have won the Danish Touring Car Championship, and indeed after five of the seven rounds had a healthy lead. But he missed the final two rounds due to preparations for the Bathurst race in Australia. His points lead was reduced after round six, and overhauled at the final meeting, ending up 3rd overall.

Thompson was late coming to the British Touring Car Championship, but managed to take three race wins in his six meetings. Could he have challenged for the title? The Honda Civic probably wouldn’t have been a match for the BMWs or Chevrolets, even with more preparation, but doubtless he could have been more of a threat.

The European Touring Car Cup, then. It’s an odd little end of season meeting, ostensibly for drivers from national touring car series. It’s a nice idea, if a little under-subscribed with only 11 Super 2000 competitors.

Thompson won it in his Danish Honda Accord, with a 3rd and a 1st, and Harry Vaulkhard represented the BTCC, picking up 5th and 6th place finishes. That gave Great Britain the Nations’ Cup, which is just splendid.

There are still a couple of World Touring Car Championship rounds left for Thompson, and having picked up his first points – a couple of 6th place finishes – at Imola last time out, the Lada looks to be improving nicely.

Where will Thompson be next year? The touring car world is rapidly changing, so nothing is particularly clear. Just in the WTCC: Seat are considering downsizing, Chevrolet are considering upsizing, BMW are considering whether it’s still the place to be, and Lada have to decide what to do with their new car. Then there’s everything that’s going on in the BTCC, and other national championships.

So in short: he could end up anywhere.