2023: BTCC chat & discussion
Discussion
From today's new release:
The annual end-of-season meeting between series organiser TOCA and all participating BTCC teams has resulted in a number of changes to next year’s sporting regulations. The headline amendments include the return of the ‘Top Ten Showdown’ qualifying format, reintroduction of the ‘Option’ tyre, and changes to the rules regarding Hybrid deployment.
Broad information regarding these main changes is outlined below:
Qualifying Format
The ‘Top Ten Showdown’ qualifying that was first introduced in 2020 and expanded in 2021, will make a return next season with the format now being adopted at five of the ten events.
All drivers will take part in the normal 30-minute qualifying session to record their lap times. Following a short five-minute break, the fastest ten competitors will then progress to a ten-minute pole position ‘Top Ten Showdown’ session to determine the top ten places on the grid.
The ‘Top Ten Showdown’ will take place (on the Saturday) at the following events:
• Donington Park (National) – 22/23 April
• Brands Hatch (Indy) – 06/07 May
• Oulton Park – 17/18 June
• Knockhill – 12/13 August
• Silverstone – 23/24 September
Option Tyre
Drivers and teams unanimously requested the reintroduction of the Goodyear ‘Option’ tyre at all events with the exception of Thruxton, where only the hard tyre will be used due to the high-speed and more abrasive nature of the track.
The majority of these events will utilise two of the three compounds – hard, medium or soft – where the ‘Option’ tyre must be used at least once during race one, race two or race three – ensuring a variety of strategies.
At two of the events – Snetterton and Croft – all three tyre choices must be used across the three races.
Teams will not have to specify before qualifying, the race in which they will use their ‘Option’ tyre, with all choices being declared upon cars leaving the pit lane.
Hybrid Deployment
Following the successful introduction (ha ha!) of Hybrid power into the BTCC in 2022 – becoming the first major touring car series in the world to do so – several enhancements have been made to ensure deployment carries a greater impact from 2023 onwards.
The top seven cars in the championship and/or top seven cars on the grid will have reduced Hybrid time during qualifying and the races on a sliding scale, whilst the minimum speed at which the system can be deployed for those top seven has been increased.
Cars from eighth place onwards will be able to deploy Hybrid power from a reduced minimum speed, ensuring these drivers can utilise the additional power quicker than the leading order.
These cars – from eighth place onwards – will only have Hybrid deployment available for 50% of the racing laps, ensuring a greater tactical element throughout the race with those drivers having to be more strategic in choosing which of those laps to use it.
Hybrid can now also be deployed on the first lap after the safety car and the minimum time between deployments has been increased to five seconds, preventing drivers from staying on the power at the conclusion of one lap and into another.
So the hybrid deployment rules are as simple and clear to understand as ever. But if the button doesn't work, no reason to worry about whether you can use it or not.
In other news, Baby Sutton is due in April, just in time for the BTCC season!
The annual end-of-season meeting between series organiser TOCA and all participating BTCC teams has resulted in a number of changes to next year’s sporting regulations. The headline amendments include the return of the ‘Top Ten Showdown’ qualifying format, reintroduction of the ‘Option’ tyre, and changes to the rules regarding Hybrid deployment.
Broad information regarding these main changes is outlined below:
Qualifying Format
The ‘Top Ten Showdown’ qualifying that was first introduced in 2020 and expanded in 2021, will make a return next season with the format now being adopted at five of the ten events.
All drivers will take part in the normal 30-minute qualifying session to record their lap times. Following a short five-minute break, the fastest ten competitors will then progress to a ten-minute pole position ‘Top Ten Showdown’ session to determine the top ten places on the grid.
The ‘Top Ten Showdown’ will take place (on the Saturday) at the following events:
• Donington Park (National) – 22/23 April
• Brands Hatch (Indy) – 06/07 May
• Oulton Park – 17/18 June
• Knockhill – 12/13 August
• Silverstone – 23/24 September
Option Tyre
Drivers and teams unanimously requested the reintroduction of the Goodyear ‘Option’ tyre at all events with the exception of Thruxton, where only the hard tyre will be used due to the high-speed and more abrasive nature of the track.
The majority of these events will utilise two of the three compounds – hard, medium or soft – where the ‘Option’ tyre must be used at least once during race one, race two or race three – ensuring a variety of strategies.
At two of the events – Snetterton and Croft – all three tyre choices must be used across the three races.
Teams will not have to specify before qualifying, the race in which they will use their ‘Option’ tyre, with all choices being declared upon cars leaving the pit lane.
Hybrid Deployment
Following the successful introduction (ha ha!) of Hybrid power into the BTCC in 2022 – becoming the first major touring car series in the world to do so – several enhancements have been made to ensure deployment carries a greater impact from 2023 onwards.
The top seven cars in the championship and/or top seven cars on the grid will have reduced Hybrid time during qualifying and the races on a sliding scale, whilst the minimum speed at which the system can be deployed for those top seven has been increased.
Cars from eighth place onwards will be able to deploy Hybrid power from a reduced minimum speed, ensuring these drivers can utilise the additional power quicker than the leading order.
These cars – from eighth place onwards – will only have Hybrid deployment available for 50% of the racing laps, ensuring a greater tactical element throughout the race with those drivers having to be more strategic in choosing which of those laps to use it.
Hybrid can now also be deployed on the first lap after the safety car and the minimum time between deployments has been increased to five seconds, preventing drivers from staying on the power at the conclusion of one lap and into another.
So the hybrid deployment rules are as simple and clear to understand as ever. But if the button doesn't work, no reason to worry about whether you can use it or not.
In other news, Baby Sutton is due in April, just in time for the BTCC season!
siandcian said:
Great changes and be another good season.
I agree.As long as Cosworth actually manage to engineer a safe, reliable hybrid system over the coming months.
At the final races at Brands, both Laser Tools Racing and Team BMW were given the latest "mk 2" version of the hybrid — both failed.
Milkyway said:
JoelH said:
Fans hate class based racing in general. It's too confusing and for TV it's even worse as they always focus on the outright leaders and forget about everyone else.
True... or try to explain how a driver near the back of the field is the overall Championship leader / Champion.JoelH said:
The number of posts from people who realise that drivers like Dan are bringing the budget are tiny in comparison. Even when he posts himself and says that the Excler8 2023 budget was too high for him people still ask why he left.
That's certainly true. It's all about the money. The drivers (or their managers) have got to be very astute businessmen/women to gather enough sponsorship (cash) to get a drive. And the difference in cost between the "top" teams and the, umm, "bottom" teams is quite marked. Fans that think that teams "pay" the drivers are sadly uninformed, but that doesn't mean that they are less of a fan.Dynion Araf Uchaf said:
Also he can get publicity for his sponsors in BTCC but won’t in GTs.
That is certainly correct. It's very difficult for sponsors to get any exposure or brand recognition from the GTs.Dynion Araf Uchaf said:
I have a feeling that most of his budget is family money with some other sponsors who are also family money.
You have a "feeling"? Why do you think that all his sponsors are "family money"? 
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