Brands Hatch lays in wait for WSR and BMW this weekend as the second round of the British Touring Car Championship takes place at the legendary Kent venue.
Three podium finishes at Donington Park last weekend thrust BMW into the lead of the Manufacturers’ Championship, which WSR is aiming to deliver for the German marque for a record-breaking 10th time.
With Jake Hill and Colin Turkington sitting third and fourth in the Drivers’ Championship, the 1.2-mile ‘Indy’ layout promises to give an even greater indication of who will be the key names in contention for the title.
Colin has enjoyed his standout successes at the Kent circuit; the Northern Irishman achieving his first series win there in 2003 and clinching each of his record-equalling four BTCC crowns on the longer ‘Grand Prix’ loop.
Team BMW team-mate Adam Morgan is also a multiple race winner on the Indy layout and scored his maiden BMW BTCC victory there in 2021. Following a combative race day at Donington, the Lancashire racer is aiming to advance from eighth in the points.
Local hero Jake Hill, of Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, won last year’s season finale on the GP loop and was a victory contender at Donington in all three races. He has qualified inside the top three for each of the last three seasons on the Indy circuit.
How to watch
While all races will be broadcast in HD on ITV4 on Sunday from 1100, a world-first agreement means that viewers from around the world will be able to watch the races live on the ITV Sport TikTok channel without restrictions, opening up the series to a live global audience for the first time. Qualifying will, as in 2023, be broadcast on the ITV Sport YouTube channel.
‘NEED TO KNOW’
Drivers now have double the amount of ‘boost’, derived from the standard Hybrid Energy Management System, during qualifying and racing compared to 2023 in a move to improve overtaking opportunities, meaning up to a 60bhp increase against cars not using boost.
Because of their championship positions, Jake and Colin will be allowed to use hybrid boost for five and seven seconds on each lap of qualifying respectively and for seven and eight laps of Race One. Boost will be available to Jake once he’s doing 135kph and to Colin at 130kph.
Adam can access his boost from 115kph, will be able to use it for 15s per lap in qualifying and for 12 laps in Race One. Boost allocations will be re-set based on the Race One finishing order.
The new ‘Quick Six’ qualifying format debuted at the opening round and continues for the rest of the year. The field will be split in half for a 10-minute Q1 session with the fastest six drivers from each group progressing to Q2.
The remaining 12 cars take part in a 10-minute Q2 with the fastest six progressing to the ‘Quick Six’ Q3, in which the fastest driver will take pole position.
A change in tyre regulations means that drivers who finish in the top 10 spots in Race One must use the hardest-compound tyre available to them in Race Two. At Brands Hatch the control tyre is the medium compound while the soft ‘option’ must be used at some point on race day.
Colin Turkington, Team BMW, said: “We came into Donington knowing we were in a better position than last year, but not sure where that would put us relative to our nearest rivals. Now we know where we are and what we need to focus on, but overall we had a good package at Donington and the BMW should be even stronger at Brands Hatch – a track I’ve won on before with the 3 Series. If the weather stays consistent and we can work through our plan in practice, I’m sure we’ll have front-running pace.”
Adam Morgan, Team BMW, said: “Donington proved that the difference between a good or a bad weekend rests on such fine margins, and even which qualifying group you were in had a big impact. The fact that I could drive through the pack in two of the three races shows that the changes to the hybrid regulations have improved overtaking and I’m sure we’ll see plenty of the same this weekend. My aim is to be ahead of all that though and with the BMW having great traction out of the slow corners, we have a good chance to take a really big points haul this time.”
Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: “Brands Hatch is one of my favourite weekends of the year. The local support is always fantastic; you really feel everyone willing you to make the pass or go for the win. I was pleased with what we achieved at Donington; forty-plus points when we didn’t have the fastest package was a good score and this weekend I think we have a much better chance of putting The Laser Beemer on the top step of the podium because it’s so well-suited to the short track.”
Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “Donington represented a good start with three podiums and nine finishes for the three BMWs. It validated the effort the team has put in over the winter to enhance the performance of the cars and gives us a lot of confidence that we can challenge for wins and podiums this weekend on a circuit that should suit us. While at the track we’ll be doing all we can to take BMW to the top step of the podium, we’re also working very hard to put our fourth car on the grid as soon as possible.”
