The 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship was officially launched at Donington Park earlier today (15 April), with a total of 24 cars confirmed on the entry list for the new season as the all-new fully sustainable fuel era gets ready for take-off.

A front row of four former champions headlined this morning’s photo shoot, as they were joined by the full quota of cars and stars from Britain’s most competitive motorsport championship.

In fact, no fewer than 16 drivers from the ultra-competitive line-up have already stood on the top step of the podium in the BTCC, suggesting we are set for a fierce battle for the most coveted prize in national motor racing.

The ‘Class of 2025’ has a difficult act to follow of course considering that last year’s title race came down to a thrilling season finale with Jake Hill and Tom Ingram incredibly tied on points going into the unforgettable showdown at Brands Hatch.

Hill eventually prevailed as he claimed his maiden BTCC title, and now it’s almost time to do it all again with the competitive action kicking off at Donington Park on 26/27April, before the BTCC embarks on its annual nationwide tour, comprising 30 races across ten events.

Official media duties commenced at the former Grand Prix venue yesterday, prior to further photography this morning, before the cars took to the track in front of thousands of fans for the final pre-season test session.

Champions, challengers and future contenders

Jake Hill (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) became the latest name etched onto one of the world’s oldest motorsport trophies when he realised his life-long dream at Brands Hatch last October, and now it’s the new champion with the target on his back as he looks to defend his crown in the #1 BMW.

The two most recent previous title winners – Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) and Tom Ingram (Team Vertu) – will likely provide the biggest threat to Hill’s title defence, but you can add returning three-time champion – Gordon Shedden (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA) – to a stellar list of challengers.

The chasing pack – and those looking to grab their own maiden BTCC title – will arguably be led by Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) and Josh Cook (One Motorsport), both of whom have produced their own championship challenges in recent seasons.

Hill will have three all-new team-mates at West Surrey Racing this year with Aiden Moffat (LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR) and Daryl DeLeon (WSR) switching to BMW machinery, whilst rookie Charles Rainford (LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR) also joins the fray.

NAPA Racing UK is defending a hat-trick of Teams’ titles, and it will do so with an unchanged line-up of Sutton, Cammish, Dan Rowbottom and Sam Osborne. Rowbottom is looking to mount a first championship challenge of his own, whilst Osborne has his eyes set on winning the Jack Sears Trophy – open to all drivers with no more than one overall podium in the BTCC.

Team Vertu’s four-car roster includes three multiple race winners, led of course by former champ Ingram, but Tom Chilton and Adam Morgan may also fancy their chances of fighting for the crown. There are actually a total of 25 talented racers entered across the 24 cars with the fourth Vertu entry being shared by two series returnees. Michael Crees contests the first half of the campaign, before race winner Senna Proctor takes the reins following the summer break.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA boasts a fascinating line-up with the battle for supremacy in the Speedworks camp looking to be a wide-open contest. Shedden’s return is undoubtedly a huge head turner, but he is joined by the pace and quality of Aron Taylor-Smith, Ronan Pearson and talented debutant James Dorlin.

Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing comes off the back of an incredible 2024 season, winning the Independent Drivers’ and Teams’ trophies, along with Mikey Doble scooping the Jack Sears Trophy. Doble remains with the squad so the consistency of both team and driver could prove a potent force again this year.

Un-Limited Motorsport and Restart Racing will embark on a sophomore season in the BTCC, with both outfits having enhanced their respective operations during the off-season.

Expanding from a single-car squad in 2024 to a three-car line-up this year, Un-Limited Motorsport enters with Nic Hamilton (Powder Monkey Brewing Co with Esidock), 18-year-old Max Hall (ROKiT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport) and series returnee Dexter Patterson (ROKiT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport).

For Hamilton – brother of seven-time former Formula 1 World Champion Lewis – the return marks another opportunity to inspire. As one of motorsport’s most prominent advocates for disability inclusion, Nic remains determined to use his platform to challenge perceptions, encourage others to break boundaries, and push the limits of what’s possible.

Meanwhile, Restart Racing has switched to the race-winning Hyundais after reaching a supply agreement with EXCELR8 Motorsport, and the team includes race-winning drivers in its arsenal too, as both Chris Smiley and Daniel Lloyd look to push the squad forward in 2025.

Last and by no means least is the return of One Motorsport and also the return to the grid for the popular Hondas. The returning theme continues as Josh Cook heads home to the squad that he drove for between 2019-2023, whilst Stephen Jelley is back in the BTCC after a one-year sabbatical.

Fully sustainable fuel era is here

Series Organiser of the British Touring Car Championship – TOCA – announced its latest rules and regulations during the winter with the introduction of 100% fully sustainable fuel headlining developments, taking over from the use of hybrid power.

The BTCC is the first major championship in the UK to adopt fully sustainable fossil-free fuel for all its cars, once again underlining its position at the forefront of national motorsport innovation and industry-leading standards.

All cars will still have the same power-boost output as in 2024 – and the same boost deployment format as previously used – with the additional power surge coming solely via turbo boost. The cars will also be some 55 kilogrammes lighter and nimbler as a result. 

A further tweak will see all notifications of the turbo boost deployment being removed from the timing screens, as it was felt this gave teams/drivers immediate information to try to counteract its use by their fellow competitors.

Information on the boost deployment will still be available to fans via the LED lights on the side windows of each car, as well as on ITV’s live television graphics (albeit with the usual few seconds delay of a live television transmission), but the instantaneous information via the timing screens will no longer be available to the teams.

Due to having the same turbo deployment and a significantly lighter car, the 2025 machines look set to be the fastest BTCC cars in history with the pace shown in pre-season already dipping well below some existing qualifying lap records.

Worldwide broadcast strategy continues

Another significant step forward during the off-season was the deal to ensure that each race day of the 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season – including all support series’ races – will be streamed LIVE around the globe on the BTCC YouTube channel, with the exception of the UK and North America which have existing live broadcast arrangements.

This further enhancement of the BTCC’s global coverage is of course in addition to the expansive and existing UK television contract with the ITV network, which sees around eight hours of broadcast – live and free in the UK – from each event across ITV4 and ITVX, as well as the continued highlights and catch-up offerings across the network.

Qualifying will also continue to be broadcast LIVE in the UK on ITVX, and indeed LIVE across the UK and throughout the world via YouTube.

With the BTCC’s ever-growing appeal and global fanbase, this latest development ensures that every competitive session of the BTCC, as well as the entire race day, can be watched LIVE from anywhere in the world and continues with the championship’s ground-breaking and ongoing broadcasting strategy.

You can subscribe to the official BTCC YouTube channel here.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to present our exciting and talented line-up for the 2025 BTCC season, boasting four former champions and an incredible 16 race winners.

“The work never stops in the BTCC and as you can see, we have made several enhancements both on and off-track ahead of the new season. Moving to 100% fully sustainable fuel was arguably the most significant development, ensuring the BTCC maintains the same high levels of competitiveness, performance and excitement, but in a more sustainable way and with the added advantage of our cars being lighter and more dynamic.

“Being able to announce that every moment of a BTCC race day will be streamed LIVE throughout the world on YouTube is also another huge milestone for the championship, representing fantastic news for all of our stakeholders and the BTCC’s loyal support series’.

“The action on-track remains the most important element of course and last year’s title race proved to be one of the closest and dramatic in the championship’s illustrious history. With such a strong line-up confirmed, we are confident we will enjoy more of the same during the 2025 campaign.

“We thank everyone that plays a role in making the BTCC such a wonderful success story, including our incredible loyal fanbase – we’re really looking forward to the season ahead and we’re sure you are too.”

Click here for the full 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship entry list.