Season preview: A 2026 BTCC guide
- Michael Williams
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
The opening round of the 2026 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) is just around the corner. With a new team, new drivers and new cars, it appears to be an exciting season ahead.
As one of the most entertaining championships worldwide, many motorsport fans will tune in to witness the highly competitive racing. Whether you are a returning or new fan, this season preview will break down every storyline you need to know ahead of the season opener at Donington Park.
The main storylines heading into the 2026 season
The return of Jason Plato and a new team: The biggest storyline ahead of the 2026 season is the addition of Plato Racing, backed by former champion Jason Plato. He labels himself as a ‘highly functioning fruitcake’ and brings his championship-winning knowledge and pedigree, which is likely to set up the team for an ambitious campaign. The team will debut this year with an exciting driver line-up.
A departing champion: Another key movement from last year is the departure of former champion Jake Hill. The 2024 champion has stepped away to focus on his GT commitments as he’s set to race in the 24H Series once more this season with Era Motorsport in a Ferrari 296 GT3. He leaves Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, a team that has played a massive part in his career to date.
A fourth Race: The normal three races that take part on the Sunday of a BTCC weekend will return in 2026. However, there is now an additional qualifying Race that will take place on Saturdays, providing another opportunity for the drivers to show their ability. The normal qualifying session will still take place, setting the grid for the qualifying Race. Half championship points will be awarded for the Saturday Race.
New cars enter the grid: Three new cars will compete in the 2026 BTCC season. Plato Racing brings Mercedes-AMG back to the championship as they will enter a pair of Mercedes-AMG A35 Saloons.
Meanwhile, Power Maxed Racing (PMR) will enter three Audi S3 Saloons as they build for a bigger and better season in 2026. NAPA Racing UK continues with Ford; however, the team will switch to the saloon version of the Ford Focus for the upcoming season.
A new Toyota team: Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport have opted to switch to run a pair of Toyotas in 2026, after running with BMW last season. Speedworks will also enter with two Toyota Corollas, bringing a total of four cars for the brand to the BTCC in 2026.
The calendar
The same 10-round, 30-Race calendar will return for the BTCC in 2026. The only change is the order in which each track will appear throughout the year.
Rounds 1-3: Donington Park (National circuit) - (18th and 19th April 2026)
Rounds 4-6: Brands Hatch (Indy) - (9th and 10th May 2026)
Rounds 7-9: Snetterton - (23rd and 24th May 2026)
Rounds 10-12: Oulton Park - (6th and 7th June 2026)
Rounds 13-15: Thruxton - (25th and 26th July 2026)
Rounds 16-18: Knockhill - (8th and 9th August 2026)
Rounds 19-21: Donington Park (GP circuit) - (22nd and 23rd August 2026)
Rounds 22-24: Croft - (5th and 6th September 2026)
Rounds 25-27: Silverstone - (26th and 27th September 2026)
Rounds 28-30: Brands Hatch (GP Circuit) - (10th and 11th October 2026)
Oulton Park and Thruxton have swapped places from 2025, with Croft moving to later in the year.
Each weekend is composed of three rounds (races), all taking place on Sunday. Saturday will include one free practice session, followed by two qualifying sessions and the all-new qualifying Race.
Teams and drivers
NAPA Racing UK: NAPA returns after a successful 2025, taking home the teams’ championship despite missing out on the drivers’ championship. Once again, they bring a four-car assault to the BTCC grid, with the fan favourite Ash Sutton joined by Dan Cammish, Sam Osborne and series rookie Lewis Selby.
Team VERTU: The partnership between VERTU and EXCELR8 continues to thrive, with a double Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championship in 2025. Reigning champion Tom Ingram returns once more, with the experienced Tom Chilton alongside as well. Two new drivers complete their four-car programme. Nicholas Hamilton makes an exciting move to one of the best teams on the grid, while Ricky Collard returns to the BTCC grid.
West Surrey Racing (WSR): A move from three cars to two is the main headline for WSR this season, which also includes a drop from four BMWs on the grid to the pair of WSR-run 330is. Despite this, the team brings a very exciting line-up for 2026. Both Daryl DeLeon and Charles Rainford took their first Race win last season and will be looking to make a title bid for the overall championship this time around.
Restart Racing: The team had an impressive 2025, including a Race win at Silverstone. Dan Lloyd has opted not to return to the series for 2026, meaning the team would need to find a new team-mate for Chris Smiley. The team opted for James Dorlin, who impressed for Toyota in 2025. The team hopes to take another step forward this year.
Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport: It’s an exciting season ahead for the team as they switch to Toyota and expand to a two-car operation. With Hill opting to leave the series at the end of 2025, the team opted for a shift to a new manufacturer, signing two experienced Toyota drivers in Gordon Shedden and Arón Taylor-Smith.
Speedworks: The other Toyota team brings a two-car entry, providing a total of four Toyotas on this year's grid. The ever-impressive Josh Cook returns, looking to continue his momentum and hopefully mount a title fight. He is joined by 2025 rookie Max Buxton, who will be looking to continue his development with the team this year.
Power Maxed Racing (PMR): After a dramatic 2025, which included the team's facility burning down, PMR returns with an impressive three-car line-up as well as a new manufacturer in Audi. Team favourite Mikey Doble returns to the team for another season as Aiden Moffat makes the switch from WSR, with Dexter Patterson completing the team's line-up.
Plato Racing: The exciting new team on the grid are preparing well for their debut season. They bring Mercedes-AMG back to the series and welcome two exciting drivers to help make the most of their first season in the BTCC. Dan Rowbottom makes a high-profile move across from NAPA and is joined by former Team VERTU driver Adam Morgan.
An exciting season ahead
Two pre-season tests were conducted in recent months and weeks, with a test at Croft as well as the official season launch at Brands Hatch. Both tests showed competitive and close times, indicating an exciting season ahead.
However, both tests were topped by WSR, with DeLeon and Rainford going quickest at each test, respectively. Nonetheless, the BTCC is known for its wheel-to-wheel and engaging racing, and 2026 is shaping up to be just that.
Where to watch?
The 2026 season gets underway this weekend at Donington Park, with qualifying and the new qualifying Race on Saturday and the usual three action-packed races on Sunday.
Saturday’s action can be watched on ITV’s YouTube channel, whereas the race day on Sunday will be shown live on ITV4. Follow this link to find international coverage options and where you can catch the season opener.
This weekend also includes an extensive support package, including British Formula Four, Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Porsche Sprint Challenge GB, MINI Challenge and the Legends National Championship.
Who do you think will be the 2026 BTCC Champion, as well as the various support categories?
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