Cataclean Plato Racing will look to convert the front-running promise that was shown at last month’s season-opener into a strong haul of results this weekend (9/10 May) as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship sets course for Brands Hatch. 

The team made an immediate impact on their debut at Donington Park as Dan Rowbottom claimed a historic victory in the series’ first-ever Qualifying Race before Adam Morgan went on to tally a hat-trick of top-ten finishes.

Putting the rest of the grid on notice that they will be a force to be reckoned with as the campaign wears on, the Mercedes-AMG A35 Saloon squad are now looking to make their mark as the BTCC speeds into Kent.

Brands Hatch has been a staple of the championship since its inception in 1958, and down the years it was a firm favourite for Team Owner and Manager Jason Plato, who took 26 of his 97 career wins around the circuit.

Having had a couple of weeks to unpack the data gathered at Donington Park and the opportunity to unlock further performance from the two cars, both Rowbottom and Morgan head to the 1.21-mile circuit optimistic of challenging for front-running honours. 

The multiple race winners will each hit the track for one solitary practice session on Saturday morning before heading into qualifying later that afternoon. They will then both contest the new Qualifying Race, the ‘Race for Pole’, to decide the grid for race one the following day. 

Cataclean Plato Racing will take centre stage on Sunday at Brands Hatch with Race 1 scheduled to take place at 11:30, Race 2 at 14:45 and Race 3 at 17:30. All three contests will be broadcast live on ITV4 and ITVX in the UK, the Racer Network in North America, and the BTCC YouTube Channel in all other locations. 

Dan Rowbottom, #32 Cataclean Plato Racing: “Although some things went against us, I felt like we gave a good account of ourselves at Donington Park and since then the focus has been on raising our game even further to ensure we can come away with some big results.

“We’ve got the benefit of having tested there just a few weeks ago so that should enable us to hit the ground running on Saturday morning. We’ve left no stone unturned since the first round so I’m confident we can be in the mix across the Race To Pole and Sunday’s three races.”

Adam Morgan, #33 Cataclean Plato Racing: “Brands Hatch is a great circuit and one that I always enjoy going to. Although its a short lap, its packed with undulation and challenging corners which is great for both us drivers and those watching on the spectator banks. 

“It’s easy to forget how new this whole project is but we’re all feeling confident heading into the weekend. We learnt a huge amount coming away from Donington Park and in addition to having tested at Brands Hatch recently, I’m confident we should have a strong front-running package.”

Jason Plato, Cataclean Plato Racing Team Owner: “I think its fair to say we’re all looking forward to the weekend. We’ve got that first event out of the way, so now it’s about knuckling down and making sure we start bringing home so really strong results on a consistent basis.

“We went well at Brands Hatch during pre-season testing and with Dan and Adam having a nice amount of TOCA Turbo Boost available to them, as well as the car having evolved, I’m confident that we can get in amongst it for wins and podiums.”

The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship carries forward the season-opening momentum into Brands Hatch this weekend (9/10 May) for the second event of the year. Here’s all the information you need to know to keep up with all of the action…

For the very first time, the BTCC field will feel the effects of the TOCA Turbo Boost (TTB) in the all-new for 2026 Saturday format, after the sensational debut showing of the Qualifying Race last time out at Donington Park culminated Saturday’s full-throttle theatre.

The weekend gets underway with Free Practice, cut down to only one 40-minute session this year. Instead of FP2, we go straight into qualifying. Two groups of 15-minute sessions, split according to the finishing order from Free Practice between odd and even finishing positions. The group with the fastest time will take the odd-numbered grid spots for the Qualifying Race. 15 minutes after qualifying, the pit lane opens ahead of the ‘Race for Pole’. An 18-lap race will then take place with half points awarded, as the result forms the grid for the first of the traditional trio of races on Sunday.

Three weeks ago, the 2026 grid headed to Donington Park for the first race weekend of the championship. After a stellar opening lap in the ‘Race to Pole’ that saw Ash Sutton retire, and therefore start last come Sunday, the NAPA Racing UK driver then miraculously turned his weekend around on race day, now arriving at Brands Hatch with an 18-point advantage at the head of the standings.

This weekend’s race day action will feature on the home of the BTCC, ITV4, from 1045 on Sunday (10 May), while the ITV YouTube page will host the Qualifying Race and Qualifying on Saturday (9 May) from 1355.

As in 2025, each race day of the 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 broadcast arrangements.

The BTCC will be aired LIVE in North America (US and Canada), continuing the multi-year agreement with the RACER Network, streaming live and on demand as part of a long-term agreement with the championship.

All 30 races are scheduled to air on the main RACER channel, whilst support series’ and extended BTCC highlights will be available to watch via the RACER+ App, the network’s premium motorsports streaming platform. Race 1 will begin at 06:30 Eastern Time (ET) with Race 2 following at 09:45ET and Race 3 closing out the day’s racing at 12:30ET.

Click here for the full TV guide for Brands Hatch

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport makes the trip to the Brands Hatch Indy circuit this weekend (9/10 May), aiming to carry over momentum from a positive start to the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Mark Blundell’s outfit returned to the fray at Donington Park (18/19 April) as a two-car operation for the first time, with two Corollas carrying the striking chrome blue livery of Laser Tools in their 50th Anniversary year. Behind the wheel is the second most-experienced driver pairing on the BTCC grid, in three-time champion Gordon Shedden, and Independents Trophy winner Árón Taylor-Smith.

That experience, tactical nous and race craft came to the fore across the weekend’s action, with the pair bouncing back from qualifying to race forwards in the Qualifying Race and the opening contest in front of a capacity trackside crowd on Sunday, to open the new season with a solid haul of points.

Shedden then gambled on the ‘Option’ soft tyre for Race 2, and used it to full effect, the Scot charging through to the final spot on the podium to mark his debut weekend with the team in fine style. It also meant an Independent victory for ‘Flash’, which, coupled with a clean sweep of double points finishes in Race 3, means the team arrives at the Kent venue well-placed in both the overall and Independent championship standings.

The 1.2-mile Indy circuit holds special memories for MB Motorsport, as the scene of the team’s championship-winning success back in 2024, along with a further three wins and eight podium finishes since the team joined the UK’s premier motorsport series back in 2020.

For Shedden, it's the site where he claimed each of his three titles in 2012, 2015 and 2016 at the venue, and Taylor-Smith, who scored his maiden victory in the championship in 2012’s rain-soaked finale, and wrapped up his Independents Trophy win in the same spot, just over a decade later.

Back to the present, and Saturday’s all-important Qualifying session and Qualifying Race can be viewed live on the ITV Sport YouTube Channel from 14:00, with Sunday’s triple-header - due to start at 11:30, 14:45 and 17:30 respectively - on ITV4/ITVX in the UK, the Racer Network in North America, and the BTCC YouTube Channel everywhere else.

Árón Taylor-Smith (#50) said: “The feeling going into this weekend is positive. We’re returning to a circuit in Brands Hatch that we’ve tested at during pre-season, and performed well at, so we’ve already a good baseline to work from.

“There were a few things to iron out after Donington, but the team at Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport have been flat out finding solutions. The fundamentals are good, we just need to drill down on those incremental performance gains that make all the difference.

“We’re also switching back to the softer compound tyre as the standard tyre this weekend, which should also play to our strengths. Where we’ll be is anybody’s guess in a championship this competitive, but we’re arriving in good shape and up for the fight.”

Gordon Shedden (#52) said: “Starting the season with some silverware was a great feeling, but the important thing for us as a team now is to keep pushing, and keep chasing those little one-percent improvements that all add up.

“Brands Hatch is a high-grip circuit, and we’re back on the soft tyre as the standard, so that’s definitely going to be a benefit for us, it should play into the natural strengths of the Corolla.

“It’s a circuit I’ve had plenty of good memories at, and have always gone well at, so hopefully we can extract the most from the car and pick up another good set of results.”

Mark Blundell, Sporting Director, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: “The aim for Brands Hatch this weekend is to demonstrate we’ve made steps in the right direction, and build on the foundations we put down with a podium and decent points at Donington a few weeks ago.

“It’s always a bit easier going to a circuit you’ve tested at, because that reference point exists in the data, and it means we can really refine and focus our practice programme on the areas we’ve identified need the most work - which is even more valuable, now we only have a single session to do it in.

“Hopefully that has a positive knock-on effect for qualifying, and then that sets us up for race day. We have two incredibly experienced drivers, and some of the best engineers and mechanics in the championship. They’ll get the job done if we can put them in the mix. I’m looking forward to getting back to it.”

Today (1 May) marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month, with the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship recognising the importance of wellbeing across the paddock and wider motorsport community.

Mental health continues to be an important conversation throughout sport, and the BTCC remains committed to helping create an environment where drivers, teams, staff, volunteers and fans feel able to speak openly, seek support and support one another.

With that in mind, the championship will be sharing content across BTCC social media channels and the official YouTube platform throughout May, helping to highlight personal stories, encourage open conversations and reinforce the importance of checking in with those around us.

Included within that content is the widely viewed interview conducted by Louise Goodman with Jason Plato at Silverstone Circuit last season, where the two discussed Plato’s struggles since stepping away from racing.

Exclusive interviews with the likes of Daniel Rowbottom, Jade Edwards and PMR boss Adam Weaver will also follow, so keep an eye on BTCC channels throughout the month as the championship heads into its May events at Brands Hatch (9/10 May) and Snetterton (23/24 May).

Tom Ingram experienced all the emotions as the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign burst into life at Donington Park last weekend (18/19 April), twice finding himself stripped of victory prior to storming through the field from 21^st to second.

The reigning champion in the UK’s premier motor racing series, Ingram signalled his intent straightaway by topping the timesheets in free practice on Saturday morning as he confidently launched his bid to clinch a third career crown. He repeated the feat in qualifying, pipping fellow multiple title-winner Ash Sutton to pole position for the new ‘Race to Pole’ by a mere eight thousandths-of-a-second in a fiercely-disputed session.

After fending off a particularly feisty Sutton, Dan Cammish and Dan Rowbottom over the course of a breathless opening lap – repelling a succession of determined attacks – the Team VERTU star settled into the lead, but then news filtered through that he had been handed a five-second penalty for an out-of-position start.

Ingram would fall short of glory by a scant 0.024 seconds at the chequered flag. Second place nonetheless earned him a front row starting slot for the first of Sunday’s traditional trio of full-length contests. Despite being the lone driver inside the top five on the grid to elect to bolt on the medium-compound Goodyear rubber – preferring to keep the quicker soft option until later in the day – the talented Bucks-born ace was on course for his 41st BTCC triumph; however, the #80 Hyundai i30N was found to have registered a significant overboost infringement, seeing Ingram disqualified from the results.

An alternator failure forced him out of race two before it had even begun, translating into a second consecutive non-score, but the one saving grace was that he still had his soft tyres to run in the day’s finale. He made excellent use of them.

From 21^st and last on the grid in the high-calibre field, Ingram produced one of his trademark recovery charges in front of the live ITV4 television cameras and capacity trackside crowd. Artfully avoiding a spinning rival into Redgate Corner and a two-car collision directly ahead, the 32-year-old was up to ninth within just four laps, in the midst of a multi-car scrap for second.

He proceeded to thrill fans by sweeping boldly around the outside of Adam Morgan going down the Craner Curves, before toughing it out with a combative Aiden Moffat, finding himself squeezed towards the grass on the main straight but keeping his foot firmly planted to steal fourth place. Ingram thereafter demoted Dan Cammish and new EXCELR8 Motorsport team-mate Ricky Collard to deservedly scoop the runner-up spoils, flashing across the finish line barely two seconds shy of victory.

Fastest lap earned him an extra point, and the Coventry-based racer will next travel to Brands Hatch’s short ‘Indy’ circuit (9/10 May), sitting eighth in the standings – with his sights solidly set on climbing the order and kick-starting his title defence.

Tom Ingram, Driver, Team VERTU, said: “The start of a new season is always really exciting, and I arrived at Donington feeling very relaxed. It was incredibly close in qualifying, with everybody on the same TOCA Turbo Boost (TTB) for the only time all year, and the refreshed Saturday format means you need to be mindful of looking after everything for the ‘Race to Pole’, which feels quite counter-intuitive in a qualifying session!

“There was obviously a little bit of a mess-up in terms of parking on the grid; I always give myself a margin for error in that respect, but clearly it wasn’t quite enough. I got the call over the radio fairly early on that I had a penalty incoming, so I just had to get my head down and try to build as much of a gap as I could and we so very nearly overturned it.

“To still finish second in the circumstances put us in a good place for Sunday’s first race, which went really well on-track, but it subsequently transpired that there had been a glitch with the new TTB system and for some reason, it hadn’t worked as it should have done in my car. There was no performance gain whatsoever, so that was really tough to take, but we fell outside of the regulations so that was that – and then the alternator decided to stop alternating before the start of race two!

“From there, we had to try to recover whatever we could from race three to make sure we got something out of the weekend. It was hard work, starting so far back and knowing I needed to take some risks but also knowing I couldn’t afford another non-score after losing so many points earlier in the day, meaning it was imperative to avoid doing anything reckless or getting caught up in any incidents.

“The car felt phenomenal and I was really pumped-up, and it was full-on the whole way through. I left absolutely nothing on the table – I don’t think I’ve ever given the tyres such a hard workout before and I probably came perilously close to picking up a track limits penalty, but I just had to keep cracking on. I used the boost where I needed to and picked my battles, and while I ultimately lost too much time fighting through the pack to be able to challenge for the win, I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

“It was a fairly tricky weekend overall – being so fast and winning two races on the road but not getting to keep either of them was a hard pill to swallow – but to end it back on the podium was positive. We’ll also be in a fairly decent position TTB-wise now going to Brands Hatch, where we’ll look to secure the kind of results we should have come away with from Donington Park.”

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport began the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in fine fashion, with a podium and an Independents victory at Donington Park last weekend (18/19 April).

Gearing up for another assault on the biggest prize in UK motorsport, Mark Blundell’s outfit - now expanded to two cars, and with three-time champion Gordon Shedden and multiple race-winner Árón Taylor-Smith behind the wheel - arrived at the 1.98-mile Leicestershire circuit keen to begin the 30-race calendar on the front foot.

Saturday’s format has been revised for the 2026 campaign and, after successfully navigating the new-for-2026 Qualifying Race, Shedden and Taylor-Smith secured fifth and sixth row starting slots respectively for Sunday’s action, in front of a capacity trackside crowd and millions more watching live at home around the world.

The pair made steady progress through the field in Race 1, with Shedden keeping his cool in the typical opening few laps, before scaling the order to finish fifth. Taylor-Smith emphasised the Corolla’s race pace, similarly moving through the field to claim eighth, and a double top-ten finish first time out for the new-look team.

Capitalising on his momentum, “Flash” opted to use the quicker, soft compound Goodyear tyre in Race 2, a decision that paid dividends as the Scot charged through to third, and the final spot on the podium, despite having to use all of the experience, race craft and tactical nous amassed over 400+ race starts to hold off the chasing pack in the closing stages.

It marked a first trip to the rostrum for Shedden in the iconic blue of title partner Laser Tools, many of whom joined the team trackside at the East Midlands venue as part of their 50th Anniversary celebrations this year. The result also secured the team’s first Independents race victory of the campaign. Taylor-Smith, still on the Medium tyres, banked yet more valuable points in 11th.

Both cars got their elbows out in a typically hard-fought, reverse-grid Race 3, but Taylor-Smith and Shedden brought the cars home in 12th and 14th respectively, to make it a 100% points-scoring run across the weekend’s action.

Leaving Donington Park, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport sit third in the Independent Teams’ Championship, and fourth overall. Shedden is third among the Independent Drivers, with Taylor-Smith seventh; the pair are fifth and 11th outright. 

The next three rounds take place on Brands Hatch’s Indy configuration, over the weekend of 9/10 May.

Árón Taylor-Smith (#50) said: “Coming away with three points finishes from my first weekend with Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport is certainly something I’m happy about.

“We made significant with the Corolla over the winter, but didn’t quite find the sweet spot on my side of the garage this weekend.

“As a team, though, I think we performed really well, and now we’re going to a track that we’ve tested at in pre-season testing, and plays to the car’s strengths a little bit more.

“We’ll do a little bit of homework between now and then, and come out swinging at Brands Hatch.”

Gordon Shedden (#52) said: “It’s always a great feeling to start the new season with some silverware; the first round of the year hasn’t always been the kindest to me in the past, so hopefully this is a sign of good things to come this year with Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport.”

“We definitely had to dig in deep at times over the weekend and hustle a bit, but to leave with a podium, an Independent win, three points finishes and no damage is a good day’s work, and it’s given us plenty of avenues to go down when it comes to preparing for next time out at Brands Hatch.”

Mark Blundell, Sporting Director, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport said: “Overall, it’s a good start to the season; both Gordon and Árón drove well, kept their noses clean and brought home some silverware, and a decent amount of points between them, which has set us up nicely as a starting point for the rest of the year.

“Getting that first podium under our belts is definitely the highlight. Gordon on the podium and the iconic blue of Laser Tools Racing are probably two of the images most synonymous with the BTCC over the last decade, so to see them together up there was a fantastic moment, especially with so many of our partners there to share in it.

“But we’re hungry for more as a team, so naturally the focus now is on taking the positives, but equally challenging those areas we feel we need to improve upon to make that a more regular ocurrence.”

Team VERTU secured a double podium finish in the opening rounds of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at Donington Park.

The EXCELR8-run team headed into the weekend looking for a strong start to the defence of the titles it won last season, with defending champion Tom Ingram and long-time team-mate Tom Chilton joined in the driver line-up by newcomers Ricky Collard and Nicolas Hamilton.

Donington Park debuted a new format for Britain’s premier racing series, with just a single 40 minute practice session for the four drivers ahead of the first ever BTCC ‘Race for Pole’ on Saturday afternoon.

Practice saw Ingram lead the way in the #80 Hyundai as he laid down an early marker for the weekend, with Chilton taking fifth and both Collard and Hamilton using the session to get valuable track time after limited pre-season running.

Ingram then topped his pre-qualifying session for the Qualifying Race which ensured he would start on pole position, with Chilton and Collard finishing third and ninth in the same session - which would leave them in fifth and 17th on the grid. Hamilton ran in the second session and would post the tenth quickest time, which ensured he would line up on the tenth row of the grid for the qualifying race later in the day.

After an action-packed opening lap that saw him go wheel to wheel with long-time rival Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK), Ingram dominated the 13 lap encounter to cross the line in first place, although a five second penalty for being slightly out of position at the start demoted him back down to second, falling just 0.024s shy of overturning the penalty.

Chilton would end the race in sixth place, with Collard racing his way forwards to twelfth - the second largest gain of any driver on the grid. Hamilton also made up ground from where he had started to ensure he would start race one on Sunday from 19th on the grid.

Despite being the only one of the leading drivers not to run the soft tyre in race one, Ingram grabbed the lead when polesitter Dan Rowbottom (Cataclean Plato Racing) bogged down at the start and was able to control proceedings from the front, despite a safety car that backed up the field and negated his early lead.

A controlled drive saw Ingram take the flag first once again, but he was then excluded from the results due to a significant overboost issue.

If left Chilton to fly the flag for Team VERTU despite a challenging race in the midfield as he crossed the line in ninth spot, with Hamilton racing his way to 17th after a race-long dice with Max Buxton (Speedworks Corolla Racing).

Unfortunately for Collard, his first race back in the series for three years would end in retirement when he was forced to bring his car into the pits shortly after the safety car period having suffered a puncture.

Drama before the start of race two saw Ingram come in at the end of the green flag lap with an alternator problem that ruled him out of the action, with Hamilton also departing early when he was tipped into a spin at turn one and was left stricken in the gravel.

Chilton was also in the wars on the opening lap when he was forced off across the grass going down the Craner Curves and dropped to the back of the field, although he recovered to score points in 13th place, with Collard instead emerging as the leading Team VERTU driver from the race.

Despite starting at the back, Collard made the most of running the soft tyre to storm through the field to take eighth place, his only scare coming on the opening lap when he was forced to jump on the brakes to avoid Chilton as he rejoined the circuit.

Collard was then drawn on pole for race three but faced the challenge of being on the medium tyre when a number of cars around him were on the soft. Despite that, the former British GT champion got his elbows out to deliver a battling drive at the front of the field, leading the early laps despite briefly being overhauled by the BMW of Charles Rainford (WSR).

A small error at turn one eventually saw Collard lose the lead but he then fought hard to keep Dan Cammish (NAPA Racing UK) at bay whilst at the same time, Ingram was rocketing up the order on the soft tyre to join the pair in fighting for the top three positions.

Collard’s defence against Cammish allowed Ingram to get ahead of the Ford into third spot and he then took second from his team-mate to cap a fine drive from the back of the field, gaining 19 spots in total to end the weekend with a runner-up finish.

Collard would cross the line in fourth having been overhauled by Cammish, but he was promoted back up into third when his rival was deemed to have exceeded track limits - earning him a podium finish on his series return.

A mechanical scare before the start meant Hamilton was forced to start from the pits before he recovered to 18th, although the weekend ended in disappointing fashion for Chilton when a clash ahead on track meant unavoidable contact with the BMW of Daryl Deleon, triggering his retirement with damage.

Next stop for the Kwik Fir British Touring Car Championship is the first of two visits in 2026 to Brands Hatch (9/10 May).

Tom Chilton, #3 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “I’ve taken a win here for the last two years so this isn’t the weekend I was hoping for and it’s been a difficult start. We just didn’t have the pace in the first two races and getting involved in some contact didn’t help, plus we were having to defend a lot which was hampering our pace out of the corners and leaving us vulnerable to attack from behind.

“In the third race on the soft tyre, the car actually felt amazing and I genuinely think we could have been up there fighting for the podium with Tom and Ricky. Unfortunately there was a bit of a clash ahead involving one of the BMWs and he just got turned in front of me with nowhere to go.

“For sure it hasn’t gone our way this weekend, but we’ll work to improve at Brands Hatch and have a few ideas to look at.”

Ricky Collard, #11 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “Given I had half a day in the car, I didn’t expect to be coming away from my first weekend back in the BTCC with a podium finish. The goal coming here was to get three points finishes and whilst I didn’t manage to do that, I’m not really going to complain when I’ve got some silverware!

“Obviously we had a really good result in the second race which earned us pole but I didn’t really know what to expect when we were on the medium tyre and there were so many people behind on the soft tyre. I just got my elbows out and gave it my best shot and whilst it was a bit frustrating to lose the lead in the way I did, I have to remember how little time I’ve had coming in here.

“Even though the deal all came together really late, I already feel comfortable in the team and I’ve got some awesome team-mates to work with. I really feel we can work together to do something special.”

Nicolas Hamilton, #28 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “It’s been a hard weekend for me, and probably a bit tougher than I expected it to be. We were there or thereabouts to start with, but I struggled a little but with the braking which is all related to my disability and just something that we know we need to work on a bit more.

“Whilst I feel a bit dejected about the results, I’m still massively excited about this season and being part of this team - it’s a privilege to be here. The BTCC is one of those series where sometimes you win and sometimes you lose and this weekend, it just didn’t go my way. 

“However, I’m made of strong stuff and I’ll take everything I’ve been able to learn here and look to come back fighting when we get to Brands Hatch next month at a circuit where I’ve already had track time in the car, which can only help.”

Tom Ingram, #80 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said: “It’s a weird feeling at the end of the weekend because I’ve won twice on the road and then bagged a second place finish, but I’m heading home with only 27 points to my name and eighth in the standings.

“Ultimately it’s been a tricky start but we’ve clearly had the pace as we showed when we topped practice, topped qualifying and then finished nearly five seconds clear of the rest on Saturday.

“It shows that our approach over winter, which was to make sure we were in the best possible to shape to hit the ground running when there there is only limited practice, was the correct one as that is going to be important going forwards and it’s just unfortunate that race three is all we have to show for our efforts on Sunday.

“The blessing in disguise from this weekend is that we’re now going to go to Brands Hatch next time out carrying more turbo boost into qualifying which I think will make a big difference. We’ve just got to take the points we’ve banked here and move on."

Justina Williams, Team VERTU Team Owner, said: “We have mixed emotions after the opening round as we know we could have had more points on the board, but we’ve also shown that we have a strong car and driver line-up with the result of the final race of the weekend.

“As a team, we need to take the positives from the opening rounds and come out fighting at Brands Hatch in a couple of weeks."

WSR’s Charles Rainford sits second in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship standings after recording a podium finish and a pair of further top-six finishes on a thrilling day of racing at Donington Park (18/19 April).
 
Strong pace from team-mate Daryl De Leon ensured that the 18-time title winners began the 2026 season with a large helping of points from the East Midlands venue.
 
After making solid progress during Saturday’s Qualifying Race, Rainford started Race 1 from fifth place on the grid and ran competitively throughout to begin the season with a third-place result and a podium finish in his BMW 330i M Sport.
 
The Sussex racer added sixth and fifth-place results with two further battling drives later in the day to sit second in the Drivers’ Championship – his highest-ever position in the BTCC as he begins his second campaign in the series.
 
Team-mate De Leon produced two superb recovery drives early in the day; the Anglo-Filipino rising from 17th to 12th in the opener and then taking advantage of using the soft-option Goodyear tyres in Race 2 to finish fifth. This was the best result he’s achieved to date on the 1.9-mile Donington National layout in the BTCC.
 
An excellent start brought him up to third at the start of Race 3, and he was on course for another solid points haul until contact with a rival at the right-handed Coppice corner saw him spun onto the grass, receiving further contact from an unsighted car and dropping to the back of the pack. De Leon recovered to 13th.
 
WSR hold second place in the Independent Teams’ points table and third in the overall Teams’ standings with nine triple-header rounds to go.
 
Charles Rainford said: “It’s been a very strong weekend for me and WSR. I’m second in the overall Drivers’ championship, which I’m delighted about. The BMW was flawless in the Qualifying Race yesterday, when we got a little bit lucky, and we’ve continued that form through today with a third, a fifth and a sixth. It’s been a fabulous weekend and I’m looking forward to Brands Hatch now.”
 
Daryl De Leon said: “It’s been a bit of a weekend to forget. I had a mega result in Race Two with fifth spot, but some issues all weekend have made things a bit tricky. It’s been a tough day. I made a bit of progress on the medium tyre in Race One to come up from the back to 12th, then Race Two on the option tyre was mega and I finished fifth. In the last race I just got wiped out, which ruined my race. But it’s a long season and Brands Hatch – where I scored my first BTCC win last year – is next.”
 
Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “We’re pleased to see Charles take a podium finish and to be second in the championship. It’s quite a turnaround from a year ago, when he didn’t score a point here so it’s great to see the progress he’s made. Daryl deserved to have something similar points-wise - his Race Two drive on the soft tyre was very good – but a couple of things outside his control have turned what could have been a strong day into one of what might have been. I think we’ve done a good job to maximise the speed of the BMW against the opposition and had very good reliability, but it’s clear there are still some gains to be made, so we’ll look into how we can do that.”

Mikey Doble enjoyed a fairytale start to the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at Donington Park this past weekend (April 18-19) as he charged to a spectacular second career victory.

On what proved to be a dream debut for the all-new Audi S3 Saloon, the LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver delivered a wheel-perfect performance in the opening round to triumph in front of a capacity trackside crowd. 

Leading the BTCC Drivers’ Championship for the first-ever time at one stage too, Doble also added two further battling drives to cap off a memorable outing in the UK’s premier motorsport series.

Entering the weekend having shown promising front-running pace throughout pre-season testing, Doble arrived at the opening meeting of the season with a quiet confidence; all of which was reinforced as he enjoyed a sublime Saturday at the Leicestershire venue. 

Securing eighth on the grid for the BTCC’s first-ever Qualifying Race, Doble underlined his credentials as one of the series’ leading lights as he hustled his front-wheel-drive machine onto the fringes of the top three. 

Producing a number of standout overtakes in the early stages of what turned out to be a frenetic 13-lap contest, the former Jack Sears Trophy winner battled his way up to fourth at the chequered flag - which is where he would then start the first of Sunday’s three races. 

Opting to run the soft tyre for race one, the 27-year-old underlined his status as being one to watch this year as he produced a virtuoso performance live on ITV4.

Keeping out of trouble in the opening exchanges, the Surrey-based racer soon came alive as he firstly found a way past Charles Rainford for third before then dispatching Dan Rowbottom for second. 

Doble would spend the remaining laps chipping away at the gap to race leader Tom Ingram however he would ultimately be unable to overturn the deficit, crossing the line in second place overall and as the lead Independents’ entry. 

Shortly after the race it would be confirmed that Ingram had been disqualified from the result due to a technical issue, which therefore promoted Doble up to first to claim what was a hugely popular win.

Riding a wave of momentum from his earlier victory, the Audi ace endured a bruising second race as a lack of TOCA Turbo Boost and the less favourable medium tyre saw him tumble back to the 14th at the chequered flag.

Doble’s weekend then came to a close as he found himself getting caught up in a multi-car incident, all of which resulted in him having to take avoiding action across the grass and then a trip into the pit lane to scoop out the aforementioned grass in his radiator.

Mikey Doble, LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing: “What an absolutely incredible way to start the season. Winning the first race of the year is perhaps one of the best to win as it is the race where everyone is at the exact same level in terms of boost, etc.

“Obviously my first win last year was very special but this is just as incredible given what the team have been through during the past year and that they’ve had to build three brand-new cars. To take a win straight out of the box is phenomenal.

“We knew we had really strong pace from the Qualifying Race and on the soft tyre, the car came alive. I had great pace and although we didn’t win on the road, I don’t think anybody could deny us that result. It’s a great reward for the whole team.

“The lack of boost and the medium tyre hampered us a little bit in race two and then we just found ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time in race three. We used that more as an extended test session to gather data.

“It’s been an incredible start to the season, not just for me but also for my team-mates Aiden [Moffat] and Dexter [Patterson], so hopefully we can go to Brands Hatch next month and maintain this strong start.”

The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship continues in less than three weeks’ time at Brands Hatch (9/10 May). 

Restart Racing completed the opening round of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park, rounding out a challenging weekend with a strong top ten finish in the final bout.

Following Saturday’s debut of the Qualifying Race, Chris Smiley and James Dorlin faced a challenging Sunday at Donington Park, lining up 15th and 16th respectively for the opening encounter.

Bright but blustery conditions greeted the field for race day, with both drivers opting for the medium compound tyre in Race 1. Smiley made a steady start, holding position in the early laps, while Dorlin was drawn into the thick of a tightly contested midfield battle after slipping back slightly off the line. The pair remained firmly in the fight throughout, with positions changing frequently as the pack scrapped for track position.

A mid-race safety car, triggered after Josh Cook’s Toyota Corolla GR Sport found the gravel at the chicane, reset the field and offered a renewed opportunity. Dorlin capitalised, executing a clean move on Sam Osborne (NAPA Racing UK) at the Old Hairpin before producing a decisive last-lap pass at the final corner to claim 14th. Smiley, meanwhile, had dropped down the order but responded with determination to recover to 17th, showing encouraging pace despite the setback.

Race 2 offered a stronger platform, particularly for Dorlin, who made an excellent start to climb to 11th on the opening lap. Smiley also made early gains, settling into the midfield just outside the top 10. Another safety car interruption kept the field compressed, and once racing resumed, the intensity remained high.

Dorlin briefly broke into the top ten with a move at the chicane, but in typical BTCC fashion, track position proved difficult to hold amid continued close-quarters racing. Smiley, in contrast, focused on consistency, gradually working his way forward. A late move on Mikey Doble (LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing) secured 12th place, an important result ahead of the reverse grid draw, while Dorlin ultimately finished 17th.

With both cars switching to the soft tyre for the final race, the pace began to shine through. Despite not gaining ground on the opening lap, both drivers settled into a strong rhythm and started to close in on the cars ahead.

Smiley led the charge, making decisive progress by overtaking Gordon Shedden (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport), Daniel Rowbottom (Cataclean Plato Racing) and Árón Taylor-Smith (Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) in quick succession to break into the top 10. Dorlin was right behind, matching the pace and running firmly in contention.

However, his race took a turn at the Craner Curves, where contact from Shedden saw Dorlin onto the grass at high speed. Though he did well to regain control, the incident cost him several positions and dropped him back down the order.

At the front of the midfield, Smiley continued to push in the closing stages. A well-executed move on Adam Morgan (Cataclean Plato Racing) on the final lap secured eighth on the road, before a post-race penalty for a rival promoted him to seventh, capping off a strong recovery drive and delivering a deserved top ten finish for the team.

Dorlin crossed the line in 15th, a result that didn’t fully reflect the pace he had shown across the weekend, but one that underlined his competitiveness in the midfield fight.

Chris Smiley (#22) said: “So that’s Donington done. It’s been quite a tough weekend overall. Free practice didn’t start very well; we had an issue with the engine, and that left us chasing the rest of the weekend with the setup.

Race 1 this morning, we got caught up and were basically pin-balled off. Race 2, we made some progress and moved forward a bit after making quite a few setup changes to the car.

Then in Race 3, we had a really good run to finish 7th. The car felt really comfortable, and I think we’ve learned a lot this weekend. I’m really looking forward to Brands Hatch, and with the knowledge we’ve gained here, it puts us in a good position going forward.”

James Dorlin (#132) added: “So that’s Round 1 done at Donington Park. It’s been a tough weekend for the first one, for sure. We struggled a little bit with the car yesterday in qualifying, and to be honest, in the races everyone is so close that if you start in the wrong position, you can get a bit stuck there.

There have been some rough battles, but we’ve learned a lot. The positive to take is that there is definitely pace in the car, and both Chris and I feel strong. We just got caught up in other people’s battles a bit too much this weekend.

There are a lot of positives, even if the results aren’t where we want them to be. We’ll move on to Brands Hatch and I’m confident we’ll be further up the order.”

Attention now turns to Rounds 3, 4 & 5 of the 2026 BTCC season at Brands Hatch (09/10 May), where Restart Racing will look to build on the pace shown at Donington and convert it into stronger results.