Chris Smiley looks back on a 2025 British Touring Car Championship season that delivered front-running pace and strong early results, ultimately just coming up short to teammate Daniel Lloyd for the Independent Drivers’ title.

For the first time since his return to the championship, the Northern-Irishman was reunited with the Hyundai i30N package, finding himself firmly in the mix for overall top-ten honours and Independents’ success.

“Yeah, it was a year of two halves,” Smiley reflected. “The second half of the year was still good, but we lost points early in six races where we didn’t score at all.

“With low ride height issues, being excluded at Thruxton, technical problems at Snetterton and Oulton Park. You add up the points we lost in those races and it would’ve put us somewhere in the top five overall. The Independents’ would’ve been pretty straightforward, really.

“We kind of gave it away with all the silly things that went on, and the other guys just mopped up when we made those mistakes.”

The frustration is sharpened by just how strong Smiley and the car had been across the year, with results and raw pace underlining how quickly he, the team and the new package had come together.

“If you look at the first half of the year, before Thruxton, I was sitting high up,” he said. “From there on, the luck just didn’t go our way, but the speed was always there.

“I broke the lap record three or four times in FP2 this year. All the right ingredients were there. It was just a case of things that were out of my control not falling our way.”

The #22 believes the foundations laid during the season can provide encouragement for him in the future, particularly given the lack of preparation of the year prior.

“I’ve been in the championship for at least ten seasons now, so it’s not a lack of experience,” he explained. “With the car being so last-minute last year, we did very little testing, so to come out of the blocks the way we did was impressive.

“We know the overall speed is there. Now it’s just about focusing on the fine details and ironing out the little annoyances.”

The introduction of the new Saturday Qualifying Race is another change Smiley believes could create fresh opportunities, particularly for drivers who can hit the ground running early in the weekend.

“I don’t think it changes everything, but it definitely creates more opportunity,” he said. “Last year, qualifying was brutal; you could be quick enough for pole, make a mistake in Q1, and suddenly you’re starting 17th.

“Now you’ve got to make sure the car is absolutely right for FP1 because you’re effectively qualifying from the very start of the weekend. You don’t have time to build into it anymore.”

“Being consistently in the top ten is where you need to be in this championship now,” he added. “That’s how you put a title challenge together; scoring points in every race, every weekend.”

As for targets, Smiley’s ambitions remain firmly focused on climbing the overall order. “My aim is to finish as high as possible in the main championship,” he said. “I’d love to be in the top five overall, and obviously the Independents’ as well.

“You can’t predict wins or poles at this point, the field’s too close for that, but the goal is to put a clean, consistent season together and make the most of every opportunity.”

With renewed motivation, lessons learned and excitement building as the new season approaches, the BTCC race winner is clear on one thing: the hunger to compete remains as strong as ever.

“You get to the end of the year and think it’s nice to have a break,” he said. “Then Christmas passes and suddenly you’re excited to get back in the car, to see everyone again.

“With all the changes in the championship, new teams, new cars and drivers moving around, there’s opportunity early in the season. The focus now is just being as fit and as ready as possible when it all starts again.”

Debutant team Plato Racing has today (7 January) publicly confirmed – in a feature with Motorsport News – that it will fulfil its 2026 BTCC entry with a pair of Mercedes-AMG A35 Saloons.

Jason Plato – two-time champion and a winner of 97 BTCC races – announced his intended return to the championship last September as boss of new team Plato Racing, which was revealed as part of the BTCC’s live ITV4 programme from Silverstone.

In December, it was confirmed that Plato Racing had secured two TBLs (TOCA BTCC Licence) in order to gain its official entry for the 2026 season.

Meanwhile, the team appointed world renowned engineering outfit RML to design and build its cars, and Plato has this week explained to Motorsport News the choice to enter with a Mercedes.

“I would say we looked at in excess of five different types of car, but the Mercedes AMG A35 -V177 Saloon was the one that stood out, not only does it sound like a rocket, we intend it to be so!” Plato told MN’s Matt James.

TOCA visited Plato Racing’s new facility towards the end of last year where all plans were assessed and approved, with the team choosing to make its public announcement this week.

Plato Racing will run a shakedown towards the end of February and will then take part in the official BTCC pre-season tests at Croft (24/25 March) and Brands Hatch (8 April).

A silver arrow last appeared in the BTCC back in 2020 when Ciceley Motorsport retired its successful Mercedes A-Class Hatchback, which had claimed several outright victories across seven seasons in the championship.

This latest Plato Racing announcement is front page headlines, and you can read the full article in this week’s Motorsport News.

Croft joins Kent circuit in pre-season testing schedule

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TOCA – series organiser of the British Touring Car Championship – has confirmed its 2026 Season Launch will be held at Brands Hatch, whilst Croft will host two days of official pre-season testing.

Popular for its varied layout, the first official testing action will take place at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire on 24/25 March, prior to Season Launch at Brands Hatch on 8 April.

Official television coverage and photography will commence the early morning activities at the Season Launch, prior to a shift in focus for the final official pre-season test, featuring six hours of on-track action around the 1.27-mile Indy Circuit.

Both venues will be offering FREE ENTRY to spectators, with refreshments available to purchase, whilst fans will be able to get autographs and photos with their favourite driver during a pitlane walkabout at Brands Hatch.

The Season Launch event, to be held during the Easter school holidays, will be a great family day out and a perfect preview for a full BTCC race weekend.

Drivers and teams will participate in official pre-season media events and interviews with ITV Sport, BTCC Media Team, Kwik Fit and other partners on the 7 April, but this day will be closed to the public.

Please monitor the official BTCC, Croft and Brands Hatch social media channels for additional information as each event approaches.

BTCC 2025 Pre-Season Test Dates:

• 24/25 March – Croft 

• 8 April – Brands Hatch (Indy)

Everyone from the British Touring Car Championship would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We have experienced another remarkable season, made possible by the dedication of our competitors, staff, partners, marshals, volunteers, and, notably, our loyal and enthusiastic fans.

We also extend our thanks to the TOCA Team for playing their integral part in helping to deliver the greatest show in British motorsport.

Naturally, congratulations go to Tom Ingram for clinching his second BTCC Drivers’ title, whilst up and down the pitlane, many other teams and drivers celebrated their achievements by securing silverware and sipping champagne.

The hard work is already underway, and we're excited to unveil the cars and stars ahead of the 2026 season, which we believe is set to be another classic.

In the meantime, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Dexter Patterson hopes to return to the BTCC grid in 2026, looking to build on a season of highs and lows after rejoining the championship this past season. After a year away, the Scottish driver found moments of promise in the Cupra but also struggled for consistency, a challenge he is determined to overcome as he targets both Independents’ success and strong overall results in the future.

“I had a little bit of time away to go and try different things. Probably had a bit of a different mindset coming back this year,” Patterson explained. “It was definitely an improvement from the team side compared to when I was last there.”

The season itself, he admits, was a mixed bag. “I think it was probably a season of two halves. We probably had five good races and five where we struggled. Some weekends we were fighting for Independents’ wins and then sometimes we were just sort of lost, trying to find what was wrong with the car.

“That probably cost us quite a lot, especially at the end of the season. But don’t get me wrong, there’s still a lot of good points that came from it.”

Among the standout weekends, Croft provided a glimpse of what the team could achieve when everything clicked. “I think speed-wise, standout was probably Croft. We should’ve maybe got a double Independents’ win there, just missed out in the last corner. Knockhill was also not too bad, but Croft was probably the most consistent weekend of them all,” he said.

Despite inconsistency, Patterson remained mathematically in contention for both the Jack Sears Trophy and Independents’ Championship late into the campaign. “After halfway, we were a little bit far away, but we were always still in it. You’re always trying to catch up and see what you can do to stay in it.”

Off the track, the BTCC off-season has given Patterson a chance to stay sharp, particularly with his 2025 team, Un-Limited Motorsport, as a driver coach, as the team have recently completed an array of arrive and drive days.

“Even though I wasn’t driving a lot of the time, it was good to be in the car, still doing a couple of laps just keeping my eye on it. Apart from that, a little bit of swim, gym, and just working every day at home. Nothing particularly exciting, but I’m trying to get a bit of running in the new year before the season starts.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Patterson is focused on returning to the grid and building on the progress of last year. “We’ll try and get a package together for next year. We’re probably halfway there, and hopefully get something done in January. But I think we’ve got a plan in. We’ll see if it happens, but we’ll wait and see. We’re hoping to be back on the grid anyway.”

For the Scotsman, the goal is simple: improve on last year and find a more consistent platform.

“I’d say either fighting for the Independents’ Championship, or even just an outright podium as well would be good. Just a nice, clean, consistent season, fighting in the top ten every weekend would be great.”

With lessons learned from 2025 and a focus on building a strong foundation, Patterson is determined to return in 2026 ready to challenge at the sharp end of the BTCC grid.

Mikey Doble feels he has taken ‘a steep trajectory to the top’ as he looks back on his first three seasons in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, a period that has seen him progress from a points-scoring rookie to a proven race winner and regular qualifying threat.

“From where I started three years ago… coming into the championship with relatively low experience of racing at this level, we were sort of picking up the scraps of the points and just nicking the odd Independents win, it was very much a learning year,” Doble explained.

“In 2024, we took it to the next level, where we were more regularly in the top ten, having better qualifying performances, obviously had the double podium at Oulton Park and dominated both Independents’ Championships. Then certainly for the first half of this year, it was definitely a breakthrough year for me… establishing myself as one of the top-tier drivers in the championship.”

That step forward was underlined by the #88’s maiden BTCC victory at Snetterton, a popular win for the Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing (PMR) driver and the first Independents’ success in the championship for more than a thousand days. With Ash Sutton in close company throughout the final laps, Doble held his nerve to take a landmark triumph for both team and driver.

“We played a blinder on the strategy all day. I had to put a flawless race together in race three starting from pole. To get my first win with, arguably, the best driver on the track chasing you down and breathing down your neck… there probably isn’t a better way to get that win because it was well earned.

“It was an exciting race, and it asked the biggest questions of myself as a driver as to whether I was going to be able to hang on to it and withstand the pressure.”

Saturdays were another major talking point for the 2024 Jack Sears Trophy Champion. Doble regularly charged into the Quick Six and remained inside the top five of the Goodyear Wingfoot Award standings deep into the campaign, feeling that this accolade was a truer reflection of his and the team’s progress.

“For me, that was one of the biggest achievements of the year because qualifying… the format was tough, it was quick fire, it was brutal, it doesn’t lend you many second chances.

“The qualifying performances definitely impressed a few people perhaps around the paddock, and it’s kind of the true measure of where we got to on pace.”

Doble, as with the rest of the PMR team, faced one of the biggest challenges of all their careers when the team had to switch from the Astra to the Cupra after the team’s facility fire. Debuting the car at Knockhill after only a handful of installation laps, it produced what he describes as his hardest-ever weekend behind the wheel.

“Truth be told, when I first did those few laps around Knockhill in that car, I thought, how am I even going to be able to compete in this over the weekend? It was so different to the car that I was used to, doing the change mid-season makes it ten times more difficult because your muscle memory and everything is still so raw.

“Jumping in at Knockhill of all circuits, probably the toughest track we go to, just amplified the difficulty. The only goal for that weekend was to just finish, complete all the sessions, have no crashes, make sure the car’s reliable, get through the weekend and score some Independents’ points.”

Away from the circuit, Doble’s off-season is a reminder of the realities facing many racing drivers. Alongside his full-time role in the family business, the winter months are dominated by securing sponsorship to return to the grid.

“You’re following up on any potential sponsorship leads, sorting things out like websites and social media, so when you’re approaching new potential sponsors, you look like you’re worth it.

Looking ahead, Doble is clear about what he wants to achieve moving forward. Already a Jack Sears Trophy winner with a maiden overall victory and multiple standout qualifying performances to his name, a target remains…

“If I do come back with PMR, then I’ve got to try and win that Independents’; I didn’t quite manage to win that this year.

“Other than going for the outright title, that’s the only thing that’s left to complete my touring car portfolio. I’ve only ever had two career podiums, so it’d be great to go and have a season where I get five or six podiums and maybe a couple of wins.”

As for when fans can expect an announcement, Doble offered no fixed timeframe. “All I’ll say is hopefully it isn’t as late as it was this year.” He did, however, hint that supporters may spot another member of the Doble family around the TOCA paddock next season.

“Hopefully my youngest brother might be joining us on the TOCA package next year as well. Obviously not in the touring cars, but you might see another Doble or two on touring car weekends.”

With his breakthrough season still fresh in the memory and ambitions for more success ahead, Doble now waits to see where 2026 will take him, determined to return as a regular contender at the sharp end of the BTCC grid.