CLAMPDOWN ON BTCC STANDARDS
New tough er penalties for bad driving are praised
The British Touring Car Championship will use a more robust driver penalty system next season in an effort to improve competitor discipline from 2018 onwards.
It is part of a series of tweaks to the sporting regulations, which also include the top 12 to be included in the reversedgrid draw and an alteration to the way that the boost levels are adjusted. From 2018, boost will only be altered at the midpoint of the season instead of being assessed after every three rounds, as happened previously.
Changes to the driver discipline could result in a season-long ban if a driver transgresses on seven occasions throughout the year.
Three-time champion Gordon Shedden has backed the changes to the regulations.
“It is hard because we have had some drivers in places on the grid that they shouldn’t be due to the boost situation, and that has contributed to some of the problems we have had in 2017, but also there were cases where drivers were crashing into each other in a straight line, which really shouldn’t happen,” said Team Dynamics Honda Civic driver Shedden.
“I think anything to improve the standings will be welcomed, but there also needs to be a consistency in the penalties handed out. If the clerk can get that right, then the whole system will improve.”
Team BMW racer Colin Turkington agreed. “It has to be a step forward. The field was so close this year that there were incidents, and we saw some bigger crashes than we have had in recent seasons. Drivers need to be more aware, so these changes are good.
“In terms of the boost alterations, I think if they are right at the start of the season then there should be no reason to change them at all.
“We have success ballast as a balance-of-power leveller, and that is the only thing we need really.”