REIGNING Dunlop British Touring Car Champion Matt Neal says Jason Plato is too mentally fragile to win this year's crown and instead the title will go to Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi.

SEAT driver Plato, from Oxford, has a 14-point advantage over Greatworth-based Vauxhall team driver Giovanardi as the title race moves to Brands Hatch on August 19.

But Droitwich-based Neal says his British counterpart doesn't have a strong enough character to handle the pressure.

Neal, a distant third in the title race in his Team Halfords Honda, said: "I'd put my money on Giovanardi as Jason is too mentally fragile when the pressure gets on him, his head goes.

"Fabrizio is a pretty cute customer. He won't take any truck and he won't be pushed out of the way. He's a hard man and he keeps his head.

"The Vauxhall is a strong car, too, so if I was a betting man that's where my money would go.

Neal also said that Plato's strong previous form in his SEAT Leon around the Brands Hatch circuit - he won two of this years opening three rounds there - was no guarantee of success in ten days' time.

Neal added: "Weve all moved on since then (April), so I think he (Jason) might be in for a big shock on Sunday week."