BTCC Preview: Brands Hatch

Credit: BTCC

The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) returns to the iconic Brands Hatch circuit to close out the 2026 season, running around the Grand Prix version of the track in Kent. 

Ashley Sutton claimed a record-breaking fifth title last time out in Silverstone, but the Independent Drivers’ championship is still on the line, with Mikey Doble needing to defend from several rivals this weekend.

Ahead of the weekend, ITV BTCC presenter Louise Goodman announced she would be stepping away from the championship after this weekend, bringing an end to her incredible career as a presenter. 

Goodman worked with ITV when the broadcaster covered Formula One, and interviewed several famous drivers like Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

In a statement released on social media, Goodman said: “I've decided to step down from ITV Sport's team covering the British Touring Car Championship. It brings an end to an amazing chapter with ITV, which started almost exactly 30 years ago when they took a punt on a total novice and offered me a pit lane reporter role with their brand new F1 team. 

“Since 2007, I have found a very happy, welcoming home in the BTCC paddock and I am going to deeply miss my brilliant, tight-knit immediate team, the wider ITV family, and the countless wonderful people who make up the BTCC and all the support paddocks.”

Re-joining the BTCC grid in Brands Hatch is Ricky Collard, driving with Team VERTU. Collard had initially been replaced by Japanese driver Osamu Kawashima at Silverstone, with Kawashima set to race at the final two race meetings of the season. 

However, the Japanese driver has been left out of Team VERTU’s racing plans at Brands Hatch, instead focusing on developing his skills without the spotlight of the BTCC paddock.

Collard was evidently frustrated by the decision taken by Team VERTU back in September when he lost his seat, taking to social media ahead of the Silverstone weekend, saying: “Off to support my family race, not watch my car be driven round in last place, three seconds off the pace.”

Credit: BTCC and Excelr8 Motorsport

The Brit has claimed seven podium finishes so far this season, and scored two of those podiums at the Brands Hatch Indy layout round back in May. Meanwhile, at Silverstone, Kawashima’s debut did not go as planned, with the Japanese driver seconds off the pace, getting lapped.

Ahead of his return to the BTCC grid in Brands Hatch, Collard stated: “Silverstone was a situation where emotions were running high, and things were said in the heat of the moment, but the focus now is on looking ahead to the finale and ending the season on a high.”

Ash Sutton wrapped up the Drivers’ Championship last time out in Silverstone, opening his lead to over 130 points ahead of his two rivals, Tom Ingram and Dan Cammish. Sutton claimed a record-breaking fifth title to become the most successful driver in the sport. After the final race at Silverstone, Sutton playfully revealed that the next goal is to go after Jason Plato’s victory record, currently standing at 97 wins.

Sutton stands in good stead to add to his victory tally, with the Brit recording three podium finishes at the Brands Hatch Indy weekend. The Ford Focus’ strengths appear to be amplified at a circuit like Brands Hatch, with a mixture of low, medium and high speed corners as well as long straights and hard braking zones. 

Whilst there isn’t a battle for the main Drivers’ Championship, the battle for the Independent Drivers’ Championship rages on. Mikey Doble leads Gordon Shedden by 25 points, coming into the final race weekend, but Shedden has had strong weekends throughout the season and will be looking to gain on Doble at every possible opportunity.

Credit: BTCC

Shedden has three main races and a qualifying race with a maximum of 76 points available if a driver wins every race, leads at least one lap and sets the fastest lap in each race. The Scotsman is a three-time BTCC champion and has the necessary experience and expertise, but Doble has been stronger so far throughout the year.

However, Shedden isn’t the only one in the Independent Drivers’ title race, with Charles Rainford only an additional three points behind the Scot, and Aiden Moffat and Daryl de Leon another 12-15 points back, still in mathematical contention. 

The venue: Brands Hatch

The Brands Hatch GP circuit is arguably the most iconic venue on the BTCC calendar, with many championship-defining moments occurring at the track in Kent. 

Andrew Jordan won the 2013 title at Brands Hatch after a strong fight through the field in a rain-soaked final race of the season, and Colin Turkington dramatically claimed the 2019 title after championship-leader Dan Cammish crashed out of the final race on the penultimate lap with a brake failure.

The main overtaking zones at Brands Hatch will be down the main Brabham straight into Paddock Hill Bend, a tough opening turn which takes the drivers down a right-hand downhill corner that can be hard to judge on the brakes. 

The drivers will then make their way up towards Druids Bend, the second corner on the track which often sees cars going side-by-side through the right-hand hairpin. The field typically shakes themselves out after the opening few corners, but another overtaking opportunity often presents itself down the back straight, into the fast right-hander of Turn 6, Hawthorn Bend.

The final overtaking opportunity at Brands Hatch comes at the final corner, another medium-speed right-hander at Clearways. Drivers often take different racing lines coming out of Clearways in an attempt to get a run on one another down the main straight back around into Paddock Hill Bend. However, these overtakes are often set up at the final corner.

Credit: BTCC

The final round of the BTCC at Brands Hatch concludes the 2026 season, with the Independent Drivers’ championship still undecided and the battle between Ingram and Cammish still ongoing for runner-up in the title. Alongside the battles for trophies and championship positions, this weekend sees the end of an era for Louise Goodman and the return of Ricky Collard. The BTCC at Brands Hatch is set for an electric weekend.

The touring car action begins on Saturday, with Free Practice beginning at 10:10, followed by Qualifying at 13:50 and the Qualifying race at 14:50. On Sunday, the first race begins at 11:25, followed by the second race at 14:35 and the final race of the season at 17:15.

Support series action this weekend includes the competitive Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, F4 British Championship, Mini Challenge Trophy and Caterham Seven Championship. 

The support series offers one-make series such as the Porsche Carrera Cup and open-wheel racing such as the F4 British Championship. Expect these races to be just as competitive and action-packed as the headline event over the course of the race weekend.

Edited by Vyas Ponnuri