What happened last year in the BTCC?
The 2023 BTCC season saw one of the most dominant performances in recent memory as NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton stormed to victory across the year. Such was the strength of the Alliance Racing-run Ford Focus that the traditional end-of-season showdown, where there’s usually at least four or five drivers with a mathematical shot at the crown, that only two drivers entered the Brands Hatch finale with a chance at lifting the trophy.
The reality is, though, that there was only ever one man who would be leaving with his name in the history books. The 45-point gap Sutton held over rival Tom Ingram meant that the latter needed a near-perfect weekend with the Ford man having the worst weekend of his year. Pole position, fastest lap and a win for Sutton in the opening race at Brands Hatch ended any hopes of a nail-biting finish, but it would have been wrong had anyone else walked away with the title in 2023.
Despite the dominance at the sharp end of the table, there were still eight race winners throughout the course of the 2023 season, and some breakout performances amidst some extreme weather conditions across the year.
While Sutton, NAPA and Ford were walking away with every title they were eligible for, it meant the end of one of the longest winning streaks in BTCC history. For the first time since 2015, BMW was not at the top of the Manufacturers/Constructors standings. There was still some success for the 3-Series, though, as Jake Hill and Colin Turkington shared nine wins between them, split six to three, on their way to third and fourth in the points respectively. However, that barely scratches the surface when compared to the expectations the West Surrey Racing team sets itself, and no doubt it will attack 2024 looking to make amends for a subpar 2023.