Goodyear is set to reintroduce an ‘Option’ slick compound at the second round of the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch.
When the championship embraced hybrid power in 2022, a single slick tyre was available at each round to give teams a consistent platform to develop the new technology. Now a year in, drivers and teams unanimously requested to bring back the Goodyear ‘Option’ to promote a wider variety of race strategies.
In 2023, three compounds (hard, medium, soft1) will be available, with Goodyear nominating two for most rounds, excluding the first round in Donington Park where the medium was used, and the abrasive nature of Thruxton means only the hard will be available that weekend.
At Snetterton and Croft, drivers will be required to use all three Goodyear slicks.
This weekend at Brands Hatch, Goodyear has nominated the soft and medium compounds. Drivers are required to use the option tyre for one of the three races. In qualifying, all cars must use the medium. Teams are not required to specify their tyre choices in advance, only when cars leave the pitlane.
Michael Butler, Event Leader: “It will be excellent to see how the different tyre strategies play out throughout a weekend. It’s the first time since 2019 the soft tyre will be used, which adds another layer of strategy to the championship and is great for fans and spectators. With the support of drivers and teams, we have reintroduced a second compound at the majority of races.
“We expect to see a notable advantage for ‘Option’ tyre runners at the beginning of a race, but that will likely see the medium compound come into play as the race progresses. Drivers will have to think strategically to use the increased performance when it matters.”
