A BTCC season without Matt Neal on the grid is a strange thing. He has been an almost, almost, permanent fixture since he debuted in the championship, but another aspect of the commercial pressures at Team Dynamics is that Matt vacates the race seat. It’s sad. I know nothing last forever, but you could never discount him and he remains a popular figure and a great ambassador for the BTCC.

And, as Matt exits stage left, back on stage right comes Jason Plato, ready to continue his pantomime villain role in the championship and to perhaps continue where he left off at the end of 2019 by winning at Brands Hatch for Power Maxed Racing. This really will be fascinating: has a year off – Goodwood races aside – blunted his speed or competitive drive? Nah, this is Plato we’re talking about, still as keen as mustard to reach 100 BTCC victories and to show these young upstarts that he is still a race winner. With the team running Dan Lloyd as his team-mate, he will be kept on his toes, but the pair of PMR Vauxhall Astras should be up at the front.

What else has happened in a busy close season? Well, new liveries have broken cover, testing is underway and the calendar has been revised to try to allow fans in from event two onwards. Hurray – we’ve missed you and the atmosphere that a vocal crowd brings.

The new Cupras, built by Team HARD look good, the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK Corollas look very corporate and perhaps more menacing in the Japanese giant’s colours, and BMW has shown its latest artwork as well, for its rejigged, three-strong WSR campaign. There are plenty of teams yet to show their colours, so to speak, and the season launch day on 22 April should be a busy day indeed.

So, what are we looking forward to the most? Resumption of racing? Return of fans trackside? Gordon Shedden back on the grid? The return of Jason Plato? A full season for Jade Edwards to show her ability? An even more determined Colin Turkington after championship number five? Yep. All of that. And more. We’re ready for a season with more new cars, driver and team shuffles, new sponsors and investors than we’ve had for a while, and perhaps more than could have been expected early in last year’s lockdown.

Maybe the best news of all is that, in spite of everything that has been thrown at the BTCC, its teams, drivers and sponsors during 2020, we have a 29-strong entry, and that is indicative of the pulling power of the championship. Is it 9 May yet…?

Between the final driver announcements, livery unveils and pre-season testing, March has delivered the perfect BTCC fix as the light at the end of the ‘off season tunnel’ – namely April’s Season Launch followed by the opening rounds, at Thruxton – continues to get closer.

With the barrage of news, this month’s pre-season recap is sure to come in handy, as the final pieces of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship are falling into place...

Speedworks Motorsport’s first-look and full reveal
Kicking off the month with a glimpse of what to expect from the squad’s pair of Toyota Corollas, Speedworks Motorsport went on to reveal the full liveries of both machines. The reveal was followed by drivers Rory Butcher and Sam Smelt hitting the track in the newly liveried cars, beginning their pre-season test programme at Snetterton.

Team Dynamics confirms driver line-up
It was a trio of announcements from Team Dynamics in March, as it was revealed that Dan Cammish would not be racing with the squad in 2021, before the news that series returnees Gordon Shedden and Dan Rowbottom would be fronting the team’s upcoming BTCC attack.

TTT makes its 2021 return
Much to the delight of BTCC fans, Autoglym Tin Top Tuesday returned to our ears in March, with host Alan Hyde broadcasting the long-awaited Christmas Tinsel Top Tuesday episode on 9 March. The episode is available on-demand via the BTCC’s numerous audio platforms.

Lloyd completes bill for PMR
Having confirmed BTCC stalwart Jason Plato would be driving one of the team’s Vauxhall Astras in January, Power Maxed Car Care Racing announced Dan Lloyd would be making his series return with the squad.

TOCA confirms calendar revision
Following the Government issuing its roadmap for the easing of restrictions, TOCA announced revisions to the previously issued BTCC calendar for 2021. The amended schedule sees the Snetterton event now taking place on 12/13 June, and Brands Hatch Indy two weeks later, on 26/27 June.

Team HARD. reveals the CUPRA Leon
Kent-based Team HARD. Racing, which announced the switch from a trio of Volkswagen CCs to a quartet of CUPRA Leons for 2021 in September, revealed the machine in all its glory live and exclusively on Kwik Fit’s social media channels in March. The reveal included drivers Jack Goff and Aron Taylor-Smith giving their immediate reactions to the car, before the squad hit the track at Brands Hatch later in the month.

Team BMW’s 2021 livery unveil
Team BMW, which confirmed its full driver line-up in February, launched its three newly liveried BMW 330i M Sports in March, with the striking matte black machines sporting the iconic BMW M stripes for 2021.

Hamilton takes the final BTCC seat
With only four seats to be confirmed heading into March, it seemed inevitable that the full grid would be clear by the month’s conclusion. With 50 days until the season’s opening event, Team HARD. announced Nic Hamilton would be completing the squad’s line-up, taking the 29th and final BTCC seat for 2021.

BTCC launches ‘Ask Alan’ feature
Renowned for its endeavours to increase accessibility and fan engagement, the BTCC boosted this further in March, announcing a platform for fans to send their questions directly to Chief Executive Alan Gow. These questions and answers will then be published on a monthly basis on btcc.net.

Testing
As well as all the news throughout March, numerous BTCC teams have hit the tarmac for pre-season testing. So far, we’ve seen over half the grid on track at a number of venues up and down the UK, and have been ensuring fans can keep an eye on how their favourite drivers and teams are shaping up for the 2021 campaign with updates on our social media and a pre-season testing gallery available here.

April marks the first month of Official BTCC action, as the teams gear up for the 2021 Season Launch in just three weeks' time. The event, which takes place little over a fortnight before the campaign's opening race weekend, is set to take place on Silverstone's National configuration, comprising the championship's Official Pre-Season test, with TSL's live timing available during the sessions on 22 April here.

Leading forced induction specialist Owen Developments (UK) Ltd has been awarded an extension to its existing contract with TOCA to supply the control-specification motorsport turbochargers and wastegates to the British Touring Car Championship.

The contract – first awarded in 2011 and now extended through until the end of the 2026 season – entails the supply and support of turbochargers and waste gates to the entire BTCC grid.

Owen Developments turbocharger units have delivered prodigious performance and reliability throughout all BTCC racing and testing activity over the last decade, while this latest extension will see the company contracted through the new Hybrid technology phase in the UK’s premier motorsport series.

Commenting on the contract renewal announcement, Owen Developments' MD Lee Owen said, “Myself and everyone here at Owen Developments are extremely proud that we have retained our contract as the supplier of turbochargers and waste gates to a championship as prestigious and as high profile as the BTCC for a further 5 years.

“This new appointment sees us move forward into the new and exciting Hybrid era of the BTCC. This success is clear recognition of Owen Developments technical expertise and commitment to providing quality products and service to the BTCC. We look forward to this new chapter of our relationship with the BTCC.”

The penultimate driver announcement ahead of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship saw Dan Rowbottom back on the BTCC grid with Team Dynamics.

Rowbottom's return, which also sees Cataclean join the Droitwich-based squad in a multi-year partnership, marks his second campaign in the championship, following a 12-month sabbatical during the 2020 season.

The Official BTCC website caught up with the 32-year-old to talk about the forthcoming campaign, his time away from the series and more, with the full interview available below...

Fans of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship have a new platform to access all official BTCC interviews and podcasts, as the series’ popular audio features are now available on Amazon Music and Podcasting Directory.

Adding to the already extensive range of podcast platforms it is available via, the ‘Official British Touring Car Championship Interviews’ – comprising exclusive clips alongside other features such as the hugely popular Autoglym Tin Top Tuesday – will now be available on Amazon Music and Podcasting Directory.

As one of the largest growing on-demand music streaming services, with 55 million customers and counting, joining Amazon will not only increase the accessibility of BTCC audio features but results in the interviews and podcasts being available on Alexa-enabled devices.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK began its 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship preparations in earnest last week, with three days of testing that left drivers Rory Butcher and Sam Smelt waxing lyrical about the potential of the team’s Toyota Corollas.
 
No sooner had the wraps come off the two British-built, Speedworks Motorsport-prepared Corollas at Oulton Park than they took to the track at Donington Park and Snetterton. For Butcher, it marked his first run in the car, after the 2019 BTCC Independents’ Champion and six-time race-winner joined the Cheshire-based outfit earlier this year. Impressing the team with his attitude and approach, the 34-year-old Scot swiftly got down to business and it was not long before he was posting extremely competitive lap times.
 
Smelt – who spent 2020 contesting the British GT Championship behind the wheel of Speedworks’ Toyota GR Supra GT4 – had already sampled the Corolla at Snetterton last November, and the BTCC returnee was similarly quick to settle into the groove. The 24-year-old Northampton native previously competed in the UK’s premier motor racing series in 2018, and is excited to be re-joining the fray this season.
 
The forthcoming campaign, in which Toyota Gazoo Racing UK will for the first time do battle for all three major titles – Drivers’, Manufacturers’ and Teams’ – after expanding to two cars, will rev into life on 8/9 May at super-fast Thruxton, scene of a superb double victory for the Corolla last September. Every race will be televised live and in high-definition on ITV4.
 
Rory Butcher, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:
 
“It felt great to return to a circuit for the first time in a while and to get my ‘race head’ back on. I always do a lot of preparation and training at home, but there’s nothing like actually arriving at the track and knuckling down to work, and to benefit from a proper block of test days to really get a feel for the Corolla was ideal.
 
“Donington was effectively a shakedown that quite quickly developed into a more serious test session. We were able to make finer adjustments to the set-up in the afternoon and learn how the car reacts to them, and I got to understand a bit more about how the team operates and start building a real rapport with my engineer and the whole Speedworks crew.
 
“I’m quite fortunate in that this is the fifth car I have driven in the BTCC in less than four years, and I think that prior experience unquestionably helps. I know what a good car feels like and I know what a bad car feels like and I’ve got to say, the Corolla is very confidence-inspiring, which encouraged me to push the limits and take risks earlier than I had been anticipating, without fearing that it would punish me when I asked for a little bit more. That’s exactly what I want out of a car.
 
“The Corolla gave me all the right feedback and definitely lived up to my expectations, and after just my first few laps at Snetterton, I came back in and said, ‘there’s really not a lot I would change’ – it honestly felt that good. I came away feeling pretty buoyant, and I genuinely think we’re in a very strong place at the moment.”
 
Sam Smelt, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:
 
“The first few laps after the winter off-season always feel slightly strange, and it inevitably took a little bit of time to re-adapt after a year in the Supra. One thing that was immediately evident, though, was how easily the Corolla instils confidence, which is encouraging, and I paid a lot of attention to what Rory was doing. Given that he has driven some extremely rapid BTCC cars in recent years, the fact that he was happy is a really promising sign.
 
“We encountered a few teething troubles with my car to begin with, but it was good to get them out of the way earlier rather than later and once they were resolved, the Corolla ran faultlessly. It was a shame that straight after I began my first representative run on new tyres at Snetterton, it began to rain, but it’s important to get wet-weather experience too and I was able to put a fair few laps on the board, which helped me to become more comfortable in the car and establish a good feel for it.
 
“I obviously know most of the Speedworks guys from last year and I’ve been able to bring my data engineer, Sergio, with me too. Being such an important relationship, that continuity certainly helps, as we don’t need to learn how each other works and can instead just crack on.
 
“Overall, these first few days felt like a little taster for me, but one that hinted at a lot of potential. I’m very optimistic that we will have a strong all-round package this year, which means it will come down to how quickly I can get up-to-speed between now and the start of the season. I’ll tell you one thing – I already can’t wait to get back out on-track!”
 
Christian Dick, Team Principal, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, added:
 
“It was a very constructive week overall. We put a lot of miles on the two cars and whilst Donington was initially pencilled in as a shakedown, we managed to complete that element pretty rapidly. That allowed Rory and Sam to push a bit harder and meant we could focus more on the detail, playing around with various set-up permutations to better explore and understand what both guys need from the car.
 
“I have to say, they have slotted in very easily, and it was good for them to get some laps under their belt in a mixture of conditions. Rory felt very comfortable in the Corolla from the outset. You’re always a little bit apprehensive when you change driver after so many years together, but Rory brings with him a first-rate work ethic, a very positive vibe and an open mind, and it didn’t take long at all for him to get right onto the pace.
 
“Although he has only been in the championship since 2017, he has been able to provide some very interesting feedback from what he has experienced with different teams and different cars, which gives us plenty of food for thought on areas for improvement.
 
“Sam is re-acclimatising to the BTCC really well. He’s quick with a lot of natural ability, and is massively enthusiastic about the challenge ahead and very excited to be involved in the programme.
 
“He’s obviously been with us for 12 months already on the British GT side, so there’s not so much adjustment required in that respect, and whilst there are clearly significant differences between the rear wheel-drive Supra and the front wheel-drive Corolla, the more seat time he gets, the more his confidence will grow and the more his confidence grows, the faster he will be. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Sam will spring some surprises this year.”

Kent-based Team HARD. Racing completed the first shakedown of its CUPRA Leons at Brands Hatch earlier this week, with all four drivers enjoying a maiden run in the newly built machines. 

It was a hugely proud moment for Tony Gilham’s squad, having only announced the build programme in September last year, and recently unveiling the cars exclusively via Kwik Fit’s Facebook page. 

Hear what all four of our CUPRA drivers had to say about their first day of testing in the team’s new cars: 

Nicolas Hamilton: “Today was a very big day for the team and a huge day for me getting in my new car for the first time. I would say it was a little bit frustrating today like it has been with every new car that I’ve jumped into. I always have to fiddle with different modifications and the seat. When you do a seat fit and you’re sitting in a car that’s not moving, you feel good and comfortable. Then, when you get out on track and you’re going through all the motions and G-forces, you may notice some changes in comfort and my legs were affected quite a lot. Due to that, we had to make a number of changes to the car such as moving the seat and the peddles further back which was a bit of a pain.  

“I would say from the 15 to 20 laps that I did in the middle of the day that the car was amazing. It felt so different to the VW, it's just a bit of a shame that it always takes time for my legs to feel comfortable. 

“It’s back to the drawing board I would say for a few modifications and my seat fitting, but next time we’re out I should be comfortable and ready to go. From the team’s point of view, they’ve done a fantastic job. The car ran faultlessly with only a minor power steering issue which is going to happen on a shakedown. The car felt great and hopefully we will get to the bottom of this seat issue, which is mainly down to my condition, and we’ll go from there. All in all, I’m very happy with the team and the car!” 

Jack Goff: “It’s the end of my first ever day in the brand new CUPRA Leon and it was really positive. Obviously, it was meant to be a bit of an extended shakedown, but it turned out to be a full testing programme in the afternoon. Testament to the boys and girls at Team HARD., they’ve built a car that was reliable straight out of the back of the truck. It is a huge positive to tick off that reliability factor straight away.  

"There are a few bits I need to change to suit me inside the car, but it ran faultlessly all day so that’s a massive tick. We worked through a few set-up changes in the afternoon and ended the day somewhere near so that’s another positive. It’s looking really good and hopefully we can keep progressing. This team has come a long way since I returned in 2019 and I can’t wait to see what the 2021 season brings.”  

Glynn Geddie: “Today was a good day. We really wanted to just use it to get the cars running and to get used to them and we ended up getting a little bit of testing in there as well which was beneficial. Credit to the guys at Team HARD., the car ran seamlessly. 

“I think the real test will be when there are all four cars on the track, and we can collect the data from everybody and try a lot of different things to maximise performance. The car was responsive to the changes we made which is positive and I’m looking forward to getting out again next time."

Aron Taylor-Smith: “Today was really exciting. Day 1 of testing is always more of a shakedown where we see if the cars run properly. Even to finish with areas to work on around set-up is a very good place to be. To me, we are not a million miles away already. The chassis feels good and there are only one or two easy improvements to make. I know it will be a very quick piece of kit. 

“It feels weird being back in the BTCC but I’ve settled in really quickly. I did think it would take me a few more days and to already be on the pace is good. Just getting back into a touring car is really nice, I love driving them because they’re on the edge everywhere and it just feels good.” 

With initial mileage on the clock, the team will now continue with its test programme ahead of the opening rounds of the 2021 BTCC season at Thruxton on 8/9 May – LIVE on ITV4. 

Ahead of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, the official website is launching a new and regular 'Ask Alan' feature, whereby fans get to quiz BTCC Chief Executive Alan Gow.  
 
What used to be a popular format on the old BTCC Fan Forum pages will now be moving to the official website and social media channels, as the previous forum platform comes to its conclusion in April. 
 
“The forum has really played its part, particularly in the early days of the BTCC’s presence online, but we’re pleased to be moving this popular feature across,” said Simon Melluish, BTCC Media Manager. “Providing the opportunity for fans to ask questions and get answers from our Chief Executive is a level of access that we look forward to developing further via the BTCC website and social channels.” 
 
Using the form below, fans can send in their 'Ask Alan' questions on all things BTCC-related. Each month those questions and answers will then be published on the Official BTCC website. 

A sunny and mild day greeted MB Motorsport at Brands Hatch in Kent, where team-mates Jake Hill and Ollie Jackson completed over 70 trouble-free laps as part of their preparation for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Hill took the wheel of his newly-built Ford Focus ST for the first time on Tuesday, 23 March, undertaking a thorough programme of set-up changes and declaring himself 'hugely impressed' with the design and build of the car.

"After my run shaking the car down I felt really confident in the chassis,” said Hill. “I was down to a really good time within about five laps and have gained a really good understanding of the car and its characteristics so quickly.

"The team has done a fantastic job over the winter and there's a really positive feeling throughout the squad. I am delighted to be working with Ollie as a team-mate too – he's a great guy and we've really hit it off on the right foot."

Working through several set-up changes, the 27-year-old and his engineer, Craig Porley, made back-to-back comparisons with the 2020 Focus and Hill's 2020 Civic Type R, allowing them to draw several clear conclusions as they progressed through the day.

"We knew in theory what should work, and were really fortunate to have a mild, dry day and relatively little traffic on track, so we were able to get plenty of work done,” said Porley. “It means when we head to Croft in a couple of weeks, we can maximise the time there, at a very different type of circuit. Overall we are really satisfied with the day, and Jake was flying from the outset which of course was hugely pleasing.”

Joining Hill and Jackson was Hill's 2020 team-mate, Sam Osborne, who continued to impress with a number of very strong runs, meaning all three Ford Focus ST drivers concluded the day within a few hundredths of a second of each other.

"Massive thanks to all the guys at MB Motorsport and Motorbase for doing such an incredible job on the car,” concluded Hill. “My lead mechanic Ben [Tyler] has led the build of the car from the ground-up, and I’ve had no issues, which highlights how good the job is. I absolutely love the car and feel very confident already we will have a very potent machine.

"We're so looking forward to getting started, especially as we should have fans and guests at events from Snetterton in June, so it will be amazing to see – and hear – the incredible BTCC 'Tifosi' back with us again. And hopefully, more podiums for them to cheer about!”

Hill and the team will now be concentrating on more track-time at Croft in April, with further outings planned ahead of the 2021 BTCC Season Launch at Silverstone on 22 April and the opening race weekend at Thruxton, Hampshire, on 8/9 May.

Daniel Lloyd clocked up his first kilometres of 2021 on Leicestershire’s historic Donington Park circuit yesterday (23 March) as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship driver kicked off his pre-season test programme with Power Maxed Car Care Racing.

Taking to the tarmac in the Vauxhall Astra for the first time since announcing a campaign with the Warwickshire-based squad, the 29-year-old joined team-mate, Jason Plato, for a full day of running in preparation for the series’ opening round at Thruxton on 8/9 May.

“It was great to get back on track and to meet the team,” commented Lloyd. “Being an open test day, the circuit was incredibly busy and we had to work around quite a few reds flags, but we managed to get some decent mileage under our belts.

“This is the first time that I’ve managed to have a full pre-season testing programme in place ahead of starting a full season. It’s a real bonus to have the time and opportunity to get to grips with the car before we go racing.

“The day was really beneficial. It was busy as we had a lot of ground to cover, experimenting with different set-ups and components on the Astra. Although I’ve come from a front-wheel-drive car, the NGTC Astra is a very different animal compared to the TCR machines. It’s much more of a handful.”

Reflecting on the day, the Huddersfield-racer concluded, “overall, it was a very successful day. We found some promising pace. The team made me feel welcome. Jason was really positive and open with his feedback and I left the track feeling comfortable and dialled into the car.”

Lloyd and the Power Maxed Car Care Racing team head to North Yorkshire in April, with Croft circuit playing host to the outfit’s next pre-season test day. The 2021 season gets underway at Thruxton on 8-9 May, just over two weeks after Silverstone hosts the Season Launch official pre-season test.