“As I’m sure too many of you can attest to, the current climate has imapcted all of us more than we could have ever anticipated. Unfortunately, this has placed me in a position where my head had to overrule my heart, and the tough decision was made to not compete this season.
“Thank you to all of those who have made this 12-year journey a possibility; becoming BTCC Champion was more than I could have ever imageined. Over the past year, I have been humbled by the time and effort so many people, on all sides, have put in to try and ensure this dream of mine remained a reality.
“I’d like to thank BMW, WSR and all my sponsors for the incredible three years we’ve had together. We’ve achieved so much, and I will be forever grateful to have worked alongside the best in the business. I’ll be cheering them on when the season starts and wish them every bit of success.
“For now, I’m going to take stock and plan what our new future looks like. Wherever that might be, I hope we can meet again soon, and I wish all of you the very best for the remainder of 2020.”
The 31-year old’s departure from the team leaves Team BMW with two drivers for the 2020 season, Tom Oliphant and reigning champion Turkington.
“AJ has made a huge contribution to our BTCC success since 2017 – coming so close to winning last year’s title – and we’re sorry to be losing him,” team principal Dick Bennetts said.
“On behalf of all at WSR and Team BMW, we thank him for our seasons together and wish him well for the future.”