M-SPORT TIES UP DEAL TO SUPPLY TOCA BTCC POWERPLANTS FROM 2022
World Rally Championship expert gets BTCC agreement for five years
M-sport has been named as the new supplier of the British Touring Car Championship’s off-the-peg engine by series bosses after concluding a five-year deal to operate in the category.
The series gives an option for teams that do not wish to carry out their own engine programmes to use a bespoke two-litre turbocharged motor and, in 2020 55% of the grid will use the TOCA BTCC engine.
Currently, it is supplied by Swindon Racing Engines, which has operated the system since 2011. However, after a vote by teams, M-sport will now provide the powerplant from 2022. The new block will be developed throughout 2021 before it is introduced in the same season that the BTCC will adopt a hybrid push-to-pass system. M-sport will work alongside Cosworth Electronics to perfect the introduction of electrification throughout 2021. All engines will be serviced and maintained by M-sport.
Nine firms tendered for the operation of the engine supply, and that pool was slimmed down to four, which was debated by team bosses last week.
As well as running the Ford Fiesta WRC programme in the World Rally Championship, M-sport has also tasted circuit success by overseeing the Bentley Continental GT3 programme.
The Cumbrian firm is in the process of building a multi-million pound evaluation centre at its Cockermouth headquarters.
BTCC chief executive Alan Gow said: “The opportunity to supply the TOCA engine from 2022 understandably attracted great interest from an extremely high calibre of bidders, so it is a testament to M-sport’s professionalism and expertise that they were able to come out on top.”
M-sport’s Malcolm Wilson said he was thrilled to have expanded his company’s activities into the BTCC. He said: “The BTCC has long been a popular and prestigious part of the British motorsport scene, and we’re all looking forward to working with TOCA and the relevant teams on this new and exciting project. I firmly believe that M-sport has some of the best engineering expertise in the country.”