BARROWFORD co-driver Daniel Barritt helped Alastair Fisher to third in class at the Wales RallyGB to round off an encouraging first season together on the FIA WRC Academy Tour.

Northern Irish driver Fisher is only 23 and is competing in the Academy Tour but has benefited from the experience of Barritt, 30, as the pair finished third in the championship.

The Wales RallyGB was the final event of the season and, six weeks after a strong performance at the Rallye de France Alsace, the duo battled through tricky conditions in their Ford Fiesta R2 to claim a respectable finish – even if Barritt was slightly disappointed to miss out on second place.

“It was enjoyable even though it was a very long event in difficult weather conditions,” said Barritt. “There was a lot of fog and rain.

“We were comfortably second in the rally but there was fog and we got stuck on a bank and lost three minutes.

“We finished third, but we would have finished third in the championship anyway.

“It’s his first year in this championship so it’s been a good experience. Ourselves and Craig Breen, who won the cham-pionship, have been the pacesetters this year and we led every rally.

“We just didn’t have the luck with some mechanical issues and a few accidents.

“At the start of the year we were hoping maybe we could win it but we haven’t had the luck.

“He does have the pace, though, he’s one of the top two young drivers at the moment.”

The tour has seen Barritt and Fisher compete in some of the same rallies as the main World Rally Championship, which has included stars such as Sebastien Loeb and former Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen.

And Barritt believes that experience will drive Fisher on next year, when the pair are expected to reunite and go all out to win the Academy Tour.

“He can see those drivers and will be trying to get there in a few years and get into those bigger cars,” said Barritt.

“I’ve been involved in this for five or six years and I was asked to help out a young driver. It started off as a hobby for me and I enjoy it.

“I think we’ll be doing it again next year, drivers have to be under 24 but he is 23 at the moment.

“That was the last event of the year so it’s now just about getting the budget together for next year.

“We’re hoping to win it next year.”