Ingram Vs Sutton for BTCC title
The chase for the 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be decided at the eleventh hour at Brands Hatch this weekend (4/5 October) with two fan-favourites in contention to claim the UK’s most coveted motorsport crown.
After 27 fiercely contested battles, both Tom Ingram (Team VERTU) and Ash Sutton (NAPA Racing UK) lead the way in the Drivers’ Standings. Ingram heads the championship duo, currently sitting on 419 points – the highest tally ever recorded at this stage of the championship, and his personal best of any season – with three races at the iconic Brands Hatch GP circuit still to come.
Despite an outstanding season so far, the prospect of four-time champion Sutton pushing to become the first to claim five BTCC titles is enough to keep the excitement and tension high.
The 2025 title fight has unfolded in two distinct halves. NAPA Racing UK’s Sutton burst out of the blocks, claiming the opening two victories of the season and securing a third before any rival had even doubled up – in Round 12. With Ingram not registering his first win until Round 10, Sutton quickly established himself as the early title favourite.
By mid-season, the Ford Focus ST driver had already doubled the win tally of any rival with four victories to his name. Yet the gap back to the #80 Team VERTU star stood at just 10 points. Then the momentum shifted. Across the last four meetings, Ingram has claimed four wins to Sutton’s single success, steadily turning the tide and giving the 2022 champion the advantage heading to Kent.
At the penultimate event at Silverstone (20/21 September), both teams found peak performance, with the gap between them fluctuating by just a single point over the entire Northamptonshire weekend. Now, there’s no holding back as all that stands between the two protagonists is each other and the infamous 2.43-mile circuit. A 33-point gap. 67 still on the table. The 2025 title will be decided this weekend.
Every Championship, Every outcome
The Independent Drivers’ Championship remains anyone’s to claim, with Daniel Lloyd (Restart Racing) holding a slender lead on 377 points. Just five behind sits Mikey Doble (Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing), who has shown remarkable resilience after switching to the Cupra Leon from Knockhill onwards, following a devastating fire at the Power Maxed Racing facility, which saw the team lose its Vauxhall Astras. Close on their heels is Lloyd’s teammate Chris Smiley (Restart Racing) with 364 points, ensuring the battle for the independent crown is as intense as ever.
Meanwhile, the Jack Sears Trophy continues to spotlight emerging talent. Second-year full-time racer Daryl DeLeon (WSR) has been sensational, claiming his maiden overall pole position and race wins this season – also becoming the first Filipino driver ever to triumph in the BTCC. DeLeon leads the standings on 417 points, with rookie and WSR stablemate Charles Rainford (LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR) chasing on 409, having also tasted first-place glory in 2025. Sam Osborne completes the top three on 369 points, fresh from his first-ever BTCC victory in his 202nd start, proving that persistence can pay off and keeping his name in the fight as we approach the final event.
The fight for supremacy isn’t limited to the drivers. The Manufacturers’/Constructors’ Championship is also going down to the wire, with Alliance Racing/Ford holding a razor-thin one-point advantage over EXCELR8 Motorsport/Hyundai. Similarly, the Teams’ Championship is a nail-biter, with NAPA Racing UK just three points ahead of Team VERTU, as both squads prepare for the season’s final duel.
The Goodyear Wingfoot Award, recognising season-long qualifying form, adds another layer of intrigue. Ingram leads on 134 points, with NAPA Racing UK’s Dan Cammish in close pursuit on 118. Both drivers are the only ones in 2025 to have claimed multiple pole positions, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion at Brands Hatch.
With championships in nearly every category still undecided, the 2025 BTCC finale promises high excitement, relentless racing, and moments that could define careers. Every point, every lap, every overtaking move will count – and nothing is guaranteed until the chequered flag falls.
TV, Timetable and Tickets
Rounds 28, 29 and 30 of the 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will headline the action at Brands Hatch this weekend (4/5 October), but there’s a host of support races and entertainment also on offer.
The Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain and Porsche Sprint Challenge GB will be on track, with the VERTU MINI CHALLENGE and the British F4 Championship all with their own seasons building to a multiple edge-of-the-seat climaxes.
To attend, click here for more information.
Those unable to make it can watch BTCC qualifying streamed live via ITV Sport’s YouTube channel from 1505 on Saturday, before ITV4’s all-day race day broadcast gets underway at 1030 on Sunday.
Fans around the world can also get their BTCC fix with every race being broadcast LIVE – see the BTCC TV page for the listings in your region.
