As Team BMW embarks on its first test ahead of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone today (8 March), here's what four-time champion Colin Turkington had to say ahead of his 17th BTCC campaign...

 

HOW HAS THE OFF-SEASON BEEN FOR YOU?

It’s been an unusual off-season with all the restrictions and the current lockdown in place, but still productive nonetheless.

Almost all my time has been spent working from home on the 2021 BTCC campaign, and managing the needs of our two home schooling kids, which for sure has been the most challenging aspect!

We’ve spent more time together as a family over this period, and that’s been wonderful - we will likely never get this time again.

If you ask me what will be my lasting memory of Lockdown 3.0, it would be watching Modern Family on Netflix with the kids each evening - it’s been hilarious and a lot of fun! We’ve also just recently got a new pup, a Cavajack named Basil, so that’s also kept us well entertained.

HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY?

I always have a few life goals I’m chasing alongside my BTCC programme, and the search to be better is something I try to do every year.

Being at home more has given me a chance to focus on the areas that are important to me, but also to build on my fitness ahead of the new season, which to be honest has been necessary to stay on top of my eating!

My training has involved lots of running and cycling outside in the freezing cold - this will have definitely built some resilience for later on in the season. One thing I have been focusing more on is building my physical strength, and I’ve grown to enjoy that.

I’ve also spent more time racing on the sim than I normally would, and that has been a real lifeline to keep the racing brain engaged.

ARE THERE ANY CHANGES WITHIN THE TEAM?

The one considerable change to the Team BMW infrastructure has been returning to running 3 cars, with Stephen Jelley re-joining the team.

Stephen and I were team-mates back in 2009 at Team RAC, also in the 3 Series BMW, so it’s great to have him back.

Another change is that my long time No. 1 mechanic since 2006, Lewis Dickerson, has left the team to start a new life in Australia. My No. 2 from last year, Sophie Bull, has now been promoted to No.1 and Dominic Day Rodrigues, who also worked on my side of the garage last year, has been promoted to No. 2, so once again I’m in great hands.

Lastly, but by no means least, my wife Louise will no longer be by my side at the race track this season. She has taken on a new challenge within the TOCA paddock, so it will be strange going through the emotions of a BTCC campaign without her, but we can still chat it over at the end of the day, over a nice dinner and a glass of wine.

DO YOU THINK THE FRONT OF THE GRID WILL BE EVEN TIGHTER THIS YEAR?

I’m not sure the front of the grid can even get any tighter! However, the championship really does get more competitive each year, and the margins between the cars and drivers gets finer, but that’s the challenge, to try to rise to the top again.

We can’t affect our competitor's performance, so we focus solely on ourselves and trying to improve each time out. We know our own strengths and weaknesses from last season and have addressed these where necessary.

With maximum success ballast going back up to 75 kg this year, it’s going to be tougher than ever to win races, but I’ll certainly have fun trying!

DOES YOUR PREPARATION RAMP-UP FROM NOW?

I’m looking forward to getting back out on track. We’ve got around two months now before the start of the 2021 season, and all being well, we should complete around 5-6 days testing beforehand.

I will combine this with some general track days, karting and more sim work to make sure I’m razor sharp come the first round at Thruxton.

It’s always surprising how fast and challenging the car can feel on the first morning back, but you soon get back in the groove after some decent seat time!

We have a detailed test schedule in place to hopefully find some gains with the car, so I’m looking forward to getting back in my happy place.

 

Team Dynamics confirm return of three-time BTCC Champion Gordon Shedden 

Team Dynamics has today (5 March) confirmed that Gordon Shedden will re-join the squad for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.  

The triple BTCC Champion returns following a three-year hiatus from Britain’s premier motorsport series and will be looking to add to his impressive record so far. 

Shedden made his debut in the series at his home circuit, Knockhill, back in 2001 but it wasn’t until 2006 that the Scotsman secured a full-time drive in the BTCC.  

The 42-year-old won the overall Drivers’ title in 2012, 2015 and 2016 and has claimed all of his 48 race victories in Team Dynamics-run Honda machinery.  

With the 2021 season commencing at Thruxton, Shedden is set to make his 350th BTCC race start in the third contest at the Hampshire circuit during the 8/9 May weekend. 

Gordon Shedden said: “I can’t wait to get back in the car! I have kept in touch with the team throughout and obviously jumped in the car early in 2020, when Matt was injured, and it felt great. That was the first time I had driven the new car and it felt right from the off. I’ve been keeping an eye on the Championship, and it looks mega competitive, but my fight and determination is as high as it’s ever been, so I’ll be giving it my all.” 

Matt Neal added: “It’s great to have Flash back in the car, he knows the team and he knows the way we work. He showed last year that he hadn’t lost his pace, so we are expecting great things of him, no pressure!” 

The new-for-2022 ‘TOCA Engine’ is set to hit the track imminently after chosen supplier M-Sport successfully completed the latest stage of its ongoing development.   

BTCC Series Organiser, TOCA, awarded a five-year contract for the supply of a new engine to M-Sport last year, with the global motorsport industry leader being tasked with the challenge to develop, build and supply the TOCA Engine to the UK’s premier motorsport series from 2022-2026. 

The all-new TOCA Engine will be highly competitive with proven durability, strict cost-controls and available to any team on a fully-maintained lease basis should they not wish to carry out their own engine programme. In 2020 some 55% of all cars on the BTCC grid used a TOCA Engine. 

In recent weeks, the engine development phase has been completed on the dyno – see video of the unit being run through its paces during a data-driven lap of Oulton Park –  whilst the validation engine will now be sealed ahead of a durability programme on the transient dyno to simulate all ten events using track data from the 2019 BTCC season. 

Simultaneously, the development engine will be fitted into the Hybrid Test Car with in-car engine testing to be commenced in the coming days.  

Much of this initial track work will be carried out on the track at the new M-Sport Test Facility and will cover close-running testing and heat soak, before a full rigorous test programme – including hybrid integration – is undertaken. 

Development will continue on the new-specification engine throughout the year as M-Sport also works closely with Cosworth – the latter having been awarded the contract to design, supply and service the new BTCC Hybrid System, which will also be introduced in 2022. 

Nigel Arnfield, Head of Engine Development at M-Sport, said: 

“Things are progressing very well on the design and testing of the new TOCA Engine. The engine development phase is now complete with over 50 successful power tests and 40 simulated laps of Oulton Park having been undertaken. 

We have also finished the ECU calibration on the all-new Cosworth Antares platform and in the next couple of weeks will begin initial in-car calibration work in the Hybrid test car. 

Despite all of the additional challenges that all businesses are facing at the moment, I am happy to say that the development is on time and going to plan.” 

🎥 2022 'TOCA Engine’ set for on-track debut

Well it's sounding pretty good to us 🥰

Check out the latest in the development of the 2022 TOCA Engine now ➡️ https://t.co/TIcLIfugll#BTCC // @MSportLtd pic.twitter.com/B2NuDJXSag

— BTCC (@BTCC) March 4, 2021

During the month that Ash Sutton was crowned the Fans’ Favourite Driver of 2020, BTCC news and announcements were in full flow, as the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship continues to take shape.

Here’s a recap of all the key news from February...

Mick Sergeant takes the reins as Team Manager with BTC Racing
Kicking off February’s BTCC news, BTC Racing confirmed Mick Sergeant would be taking on the role of Team Manager for 2021 with the Brackley-based squad, overseeing all day-to-day business and utilising his vast experience in team management for the rapidly approaching season.

WSR reveals full Team BMW line-up for 2021
On three consecutive Wednesday mornings, West Surrey Racing brought us pieces of the Team BMW puzzle, announcing four-time Champion Colin Turkington and race-winner Tom Oliphant would once again field two of the squad’s BMW 330i M Sports and, for 2021, would be joined by Stephen Jelley, who scored two of his three career victories in WSR-run machinery.

Jackson joins Hill at MB Motorsport
MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square announced the second half of its driver line-up for 2021, with double race-winner Ollie Jackson joining fellow BRDC member Jake Hill, following the 36-year-old's most successful BTCC campaign to date.

Motorbase Performance confirms 2021 duo
Another team to confirm both its drivers in February was Motorbase Performance, simultaneously announcing that Sam Osborne would be joining Andy Neate in the pair of Ford Focus STs.

Constable to pilot PMR development programme
Power Maxed Car Care Racing revealed Jac Constable would be joining the team as its BTCC Development Driver. It was also revealed that the 23-year-old, who drove one of the squad’s Vauxhall Astras at Croft in 2020 before being taken ill ahead of the weekend’s races, is set to become a fully-fledged BTCC racer in 2022.

Championship-winning engineer Dan Millard joins Laser Tools Racing
Laser Tools Racing announced Dan Millard would be spearheading Aiden Moffat’s 2021 campaign, as the championship-winning engineer brings a wealth of rear-wheel-drive experience to the squad.

Rick Parfitt Jr completes the bill for EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars Racing
EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars confirmed its fourth and final driver, with Rick Parfitt Jr rounding off its 2021 BTCC attack. Parfitt Jr joins Tom Ingram, Chris Smiley and Jack Butel in the quartet of Hyundai i30N Fastbacks as the team enters its first campaign in the newly joint venture between EXCELR8 Motorsport and Trade Price Cars Racing.

Silverstone to host Season Launch
Rounding off another month of BTCC news was the announcement that Silverstone would be hosting the 2021 Season Launch event. Comprising media activities alongside six hours of official testing, the day will give teams the opportunity to hit the tarmac ahead of the season-opening weekend at Thruxton on 8/9 May.

Following the Government’s latest COVID-19 directives, spectators will unfortunately not be permitted to attend the Season Launch, but can follow the action via live timings from TSL and updates on the official BTCC website and social media channels.

As we head into a new month, just four seats remain undisclosed and, with livery unveils and sponsorship announcements on the horizon, the 2021 campaign is already looking highly competitive and, as always, incredibly entertaining.

As Ciceley Motorsport's pre-season testing schedule continues, we caught up with Tom Chilton to look ahead to the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and look back over his BTCC career as he heads into his 15th campaign in the series.

We’ve seen that the team has been using a 1 Series for testing while the new cars are being completed, what are your expectations of going from this to the 3 Series?

It was fantastic of Ciceley Motorsport to invest in a rear-wheel-drive test car whilst waiting for our new BMW 330i M Sport to be built. I feel like we have really learnt a lot as a team and both Adam [Morgan] and I as drivers in the 1 Series. It should transfer nicely onto the 3 Series. Especially as it has a longer wheelbase it should really help the car balance! Both [Colin] Turkington and [Andrew] Jordan have said it is better to drive, which makes me even more excited. 

What would you say are your main priorities and concerns during testing?

In my world testing is key to success so we’ll be leaving no stone unturned. I look into everything to create the best balance possible. 

Your move to the BMW 330i M Sport marks your first foray into rear-wheel machinery in the championship, how are you finding the adjustment?

It’s nice after 19 years in touring cars to have a new goal and challenge. RWD is that, alongside a new team and car! To be honest I was like a duck to water straight out the box, with dry, damp and wet running. I really enjoyed it all over our three days of testing so far. My old engineer Nick Silvester, who was with me for six years through WTCC and the BTCC and helped us to finish third overall in both championships, always said to me I would be a better driver in rear-wheel-drive cars. Well, let’s wait and see what happens this year – ever the optimist!

Talk us through what it’s like to sign with a different team, the adjustments to different people and ways of doing things etc...

Changing race teams is part of motorsport, all depending on where the sponsorship is coming from, to the car potential and team credentials. Usually, all three go hand in hand.

I feel very lucky this year to have been approached by Morgan’s team, Ciceley Motorsport. They’re a great bunch of hard-working, professional guys with a fun, happy vibe to everything they do. Having to learn so many new names quickly is really the hardest part of it all... when you feel like part of the family. That’s the key to a great race team, which Ciceley has. 

With 2021 marking your 15th BTCC campaign, what advice would you give to your younger self ahead of your debut in 2002?

Maybe: ‘don’t go out and fire off Tim Harvey and Anthony [Reid] in your first BTCC race because you’re upset...’

I still finished third on Brands Hatch’s GP circuit, which I’d never driven on before that weekend, but I only got away with that one because I was still in nappies!

Securing a podium finish in your first race in the series must have been quite a high, what would you say is personally your biggest achievement in the BTCC?

It’s really hard for me to work out if being 2010 Independent Drivers’ Champion was better than finishing third overall in 2018, as I had far more experience after being in the FIA WTCC! I think because I was that much younger, 2010 was my biggest achievement. But I’m still holding out for that outright BTCC title.

Last year you bagged three podium finishes, with a newer car and a different team behind you in 2021, what can we expect from you in this campaign?

I really cannot wait to get racing again and not feel held back. I’ve had two years out of the top six in the championship where we were just filling up the field to make the others look good. Hoping now I won’t be the filling but the topping of the cake, the cherry preferably.

Team Dynamics has today (2 March) announced that Dan Cammish will not be part of its driver line-up for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Cammish, who joined the squad in 2018, has challenged for the overall Drivers’ title in the past two seasons and departs the team having scored eight race victories and a total of 31 podiums.

Team Dynamics will announce its first driver for the 2021 BTCC campaign this Friday (5 March) with the final seat to be confirmed over the coming weeks.

Dan Cammish said: “Whilst it is really disappointing for me, I have to thank Dynamics for their faith in bringing me into the Championship three years ago.

“If it weren’t for them, I probably wouldn’t have got my ‘big break’ in the BTCC and managed to do what I have done. We have parted on exceptional terms and I will be keeping in contact going forward. You never know what the future will bring.”

James Rodgers, Team Manager, confirmed: “Dan is and always will be part of the Dynamics family. We have tried very hard to keep Dan as part of the team for 2021, but it was not to be, and we have had to part ways.

Matt Neal, Team Dynamics, added: “Dan is a fantastic guy and has been a great driver for us! We wish him all the very best for the future and will very much be keeping in touch.”

The official Season Launch event ahead of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at Silverstone on 22 April.

Official championship photography and ITV filming duties will be carried out at the venue, as well as a number of other media interviews and activities.

The full quota of 29 BTCC cars will then take to the Silverstone National Circuit for the only official pre-season test day, with all teams and drivers due on-track together for the first time this year.

Six hours of testing will commence with the opening session between 1000-1300, before the afternoon segment runs from 1400-1700.

Live timing will be provided by TSL, whilst the official BTCC website and social media channels will be keeping fans up to date throughout the day.

Following the Government’s latest COVID-19 directives, spectators will unfortunately not be permitted to attend this event. Media access is set to be severely restricted, with details to follow from the BTCC Media Team.

Entries for the 2021 BTCC campaign closed at midday today (26 February), with all 29 participants now confirmed by Series Organiser TOCA. The official 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship entry list will be released, as per normal, on or just before the Season Launch.

This week the Official BTCC website caught up with Team HARD. Racing's Managing Director, Tony Gilham, to find out some behind the scenes information about the squad's fleet of Cupra Leons, its plans for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and more.

Check out the Q&A below for the latest...

We’ve seen a few sneak peeks of the new Cupra Leons in the factory, how is the build coming along?
It’s coming along nicely, with three of the four shells back at base and being prepared for their on-track debut. We are putting in all of the work now so that we are not only ready for the 2021 season but also the 2022 hybrid era. The 2022 season will see a number of changes to the cars under the bodywork and to get ahead of the game by preparing our cars now is a big step.

With four drivers out there gathering data, the development process for the cars should be really interesting, what are your expectations for it?
As everyone knows, anything can happen in racing and often does when you least expect it. However, we are building brand new cars for this season so, without making any predictions, all I would like is for our cars to be right at the sharp end and challenging for honours whenever possible. It’s a big year for the team and I have every faith in the work that everyone is doing and the development that has gone into them.

What are your plans for testing with the new cars?
We don’t have an official launch date yet, we are keeping that one a surprise until nearer the time. However, we have an extensive test plan scheduled before the season opener with all four of our drivers and, COVID-19 permitting, we are hoping to be able to invite along some of our partners and fans so they can see our new charger in action!

Obviously in 2020 you had a few different drivers in the Volkswagen CCs throughout the year, including 2021 driver Glynn Geddie, how did their performance effect which drivers you considered for this coming campaign?
The second seat in the Volkswagen CC in 2020 turned into a bit of a hot seat after Mike [Bushell's] illness. Long term Team HARD. driver Howard [Fuller] was due to race and then COVID-19 halted the entire country. From that moment I got the feeling it wasn’t going to be an easy season.

It would have been easy to retire the car for the season but that’s not how we do things here. Instead, we took the opportunity to bring in new talent and reignite our relationships with some former drivers, which was fantastic.

Glynn was fantastic from the get-go and really impressed the whole team. It had been a while since he’d been in front-wheel-drive machinery but the cohesion between Jack [Goff] and him was brilliant to see. When Glynn joined the team for the final two events, it was always with a view to then do the 2021 season in full and in those two weekends he proved to us just as much as we proved to him, that together we can mix it at the sharp end this year.

Your line-up so far sees Aron Taylor-Smith return to the BTCC after three years away from the series; what are your expectations for him considering returning drivers often comment on the ever-increasing level of the championship?

Aron is a fantastic driver, whom I’ve worked with before, with a successful history in the BTCC. It’s true that the championship is getting more competitive every year, but Aron is no slouch and has been working hard in the off-season to come back stronger and fitter than ever.

Aron and Jack have worked together before and that should help Aron settle into the team quickly. His enthusiasm for our Cupra project is infectious – I think he might actually be more excited than me. Together we can achieve great things!

When can we expect to hear about your final driver signing?

So, the final driver has signed on the dotted line for this season. The announcement? Well that’s still up for debate… watch this space.

Talk us through what your commercial partnership with Laser Tools Racing will mean for both teams?

We have had a good friendship with the Moffat family for several years now, so this commercial agreement was no surprise to us.

The Laser Tools Racing name is well established within the BTCC as it enters its eighth consecutive season and as such, we feel that collectively we can increase the building of the corporate side of our business, which is a key element of what we do. We now both have what we believe is a complete package that is unrivalled both on and off track.

 

Having announced its new Team Manager for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, the Official BTCC website talked with BTC Racing's Mick Sergeant as he steps into his new role with the squad.

Sergeant, who has a wealth of experience in Britain's elite motorsport series, discusses his route into the championship, as well as what is required within his role...

"You've got to be a bit of everything I suppose," said Sergeant. "Generally, steering the ship in the right direction, being organised, building a team and encouraging it to do well, getting the right people doing the right job, organising the movement of the whole team around the country. It's a bit different in the wintertime as you've got big rebuilds and you've got to put the team together. Then once we're into the season we're all where we want to be. We're all racers at heart and we've got to be doing that job, so it's slightly different. You've got to be a bit of everything, and keeping track of the drivers is a bit like hearding cats...

"You need to understand what everybody's job is. You wouldn't ask someone to do a job you couldn't do yourself is how I look at it. I'm lucky to have worked my way up and done pretty much every job you can in the team... I've done a bit of everything so I understand what's involved in the role."

Listen to the full interview below...