The option tyre is set to inject another element of action and strategy into the BTCC weekend.

The 2024 British Touring Car Championship heads to Brands Hatch for its second meeting of the year. Rounds four, five and six will each take place on the Indy circuit layout on Sunday 12th May.

Brands Hatch hosted the very first BTCC race in 1958, but its racing roots stretch back to the 1920s as a grass circuit. The 1.2 mile Indy layout features six long and challenging corners, and bears a striking resemblance to the very first layout.

This weekend, the Goodyear medium tyre, used at the opening rounds at Donington Park National, remains the standard. It will be the mandatory specification for qualifying and two of the three races. Each driver will receive one set of white-branded ‘option’ tyres, with a softer compound which could boost performance by up to 0.7 seconds per lap.

However, drivers on the medium tyre are expected to have greater pace during the closing laps of the race compared to the softer compound.

Michael Butler, Goodyear’s BTCC Event Leader, discusses the strategic options facing the drivers this weekend: “Last time out at Donington, we saw some great racing up and down the field. With a soft tyre added to the mix for this weekend at Brands Hatch, expect to see a greater difference between cars, especially when it comes to using the soft during one of the races.

“Teams and drivers will need to analyse with their Goodyear tyre engineer which race is best to use the extra performance. For the fastest drivers, that’s likely to be during the reverse grid at the end of the day.

“We look forward to the soft tyre’s continued presence during this season. Feedback from last year was particularly positive, and it will be the standard tyre later in the season at Oulton Park, Croft and Knockhill.”