Rules shake-up to add racing spice
THE BTCC BROKE new ground last year by introducing hybrid technology to the series, using a power boost system in place of the old weight ballast as a means of levelling the playing field. The transition proved remarkably smooth in the face of such a major change, although inevitably there was room for improvement for the sophomore year.
“The BTCC is as good as it ever was,” says 1992 champion Harvey. “It will be slightly reformatted this year to improve the racing, which is what we all want. The quality at the front of the grid is as good as ever and there are enough changes to make it very interesting. We go to that first race with plenty of eager anticipation.”
The tweaks involve three areas. First, the sliding scale of hybrid boost has been enhanced in favour of those who qualify outside the top seven. From eighth backwards, drivers will be able to deploy hybrid power from a reduced minimum speed, which allows them to use it quicker than the front runners – who only have it available for 50% of the racing laps. In a nutshell, hybrid usage tactics will be more critical.
The second change is the reintroduction of a ‘Top 10 Showdown’ in qualifying, at five of the 10 rounds, as a means of shaking up the competitive order. Also, at the request of the teams, Goodyear will reintroduce mandatory use of an ‘option’ tyre to spark greater variation in strategy and enhance differentiation in performance between rivals.
“Last year there was an occasional bit of criticism that the hybrid wasn’t making as much of a difference as the old weight ballast system, but it was a transitional year with hybrid and the use of a new TOCA engine built by M-sport,” says Addison. “There was quite a lot for the teams to get used to. Inevitably, [BTCC ringmaster] Alan Gow makes notes, thinking: ‘That needs tweaking and improving.’ If you thought ‘I don’t like the hybrid power boost’, I wouldn’t have any concerns at all, because this year it will take a step forward in terms of adding to the racing.”
Now let’s get to the runners and riders…