[BTCC] BTCC 2022 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[BobJones]

Autosport article about the BTCC Infiniti and Toyota coming to PC simulator rFactor 2 https://www.autosport.com/esports/news/toyota-and-infiniti-btcc-cars-coming-to-simulator-rfactor-2/10248073/


Of particular note:

"The cars have been laser scanned in conjunction with the championship and teams, while tyre data from real-world supplier Goodyear has also been used alongside driver input."

That all sounds rather promising. Includes the Corolla with 2021 Butcher and Smelt liveries and the Infiniti with Moffat and Sutton designs. TOCA engine for now, 2022 liveries coming later with more cars.

Brands and Donington will also be available at the same time, just a few weeks away in May. Silverstone already part of the base game.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by Robshillito1990

So pretty much confirmation that the btcc game has been canned today but the good news is the cars and tracks of 21/22 season are being added to rfactor2 on pc (another game produced by motorsport games) which to be fair they are smashing out the park since they took over

I agree, in all the kerfuffle, rFactor 2 is blossoming, mega job so far. A talented team now with the investment needed.


I don't think it's confirmation that the dedicated game is cancelled though.

In another slide from the same document shared here, the company still has the licence to make BTCC 'games and esports' until 2027.



This week, they announced that the NASCAR game they released in 2021, which was the right idea but poorly executed, won't have a sequel this year.

Instead, having a year off to start afresh in 2023.
https://motorsportgames.com/nascar-2...te-april-2022/

"Using lessons learned from the release of NASCAR 21: Ignition, Motorsport Games will move in a new direction with the next NASCAR release.

The 2023 NASCAR game will not inherit the tech debt of NASCAR 21: Ignition as its base, but instead will be capitalizing on the phenomenal work done by the teams that brought you KartKraft and rFactor 2 while still utilizing the Unreal Engine."

So to me, I would guess the BTCC game is pushed back until the tech is sorted, just needs to be out before 2027. Maybe these BTCC cars and tracks are a way of testing in rFactor 2 first?

[thetool]

Outside of the obviously successful, long-standing TV deal, the BTCC commercial department is hopeless. They almost act like they don't want exposure.

rFactor 2 is niche PC-only racing sim. If they decided to go down that line they might as well have aligned with Sector 3/RaceRoom who have a track-record of catering for national/international touring car series and do so comprehensively by offering all the tracks/liveries. There's multiple full seasons of WTCC & DTM on there already and it would have been the obvious home for a PC-only BTCC sim.

[Alessio]

Given the legal problems Motorsport Games are currently facing, I can't see a dedicated BTCC (or IndyCar/WEC) game happening, sadly...

Ermin Hamidovic made a good video about the s**tshow going on with them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSC4VLTxXoU

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by thetool

Outside of the obviously successful, long-standing TV deal, the BTCC commercial department is hopeless. They almost act like they don't want exposure.

rFactor 2 is niche PC-only racing sim. If they decided to go down that line they might as well have aligned with Sector 3/RaceRoom who have a track-record of catering for national/international touring car series and do so comprehensively by offering all the tracks/liveries. There's multiple full seasons of WTCC & DTM on there already and it would have been the obvious home for a PC-only BTCC sim.

I get the impression from someone I occasionally speak to in one of the teams, TOCA place a lot of conditions and the licensing rights are expensive.
,

[S griffin]

That’s probably why we haven’t had one in recent times, but I reckon we will have one eventually within a few years

[thetool]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I get the impression from someone I occasionally speak to in one of the teams, TOCA place a lot of conditions and the licensing rights are expensive.

They do. And it's so counterproductive. Codemasters still held the rights to the series up until a few years ago, despite the fact the series hadn't featured in any of their games since 2002.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by thetool

They do. And it's so counterproductive. Codemasters still held the rights to the series up until a few years ago, despite the fact the series hadn't featured in any of their games since 2002.

The Motorbase Focus sort of appeared in Grid Autosport, albeit not in livery. I think I remember reading that it was modelled off the Motorbase version. Might be wrong!

I remember the Volvo estate too, though definitely far from a BTCC 'game'.

[S griffin]

Grid Autosport wasn’t based on any particular championship, so it had a lot of different cars from different series. It wasn’t an official licensed series. It was probably only based on the Motorbase Ford though, to avoid legal problems

Didn’t know about the Volvo estate though

[Sodemo]

rF2 has had the Dynamics Honda in game for some time now. I don’t know how that worked commercially in terms of licensing.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

rF2 has had the Dynamics Honda in game for some time now. I don’t know how that worked commercially in terms of licensing.

If done officially (such as by ISI), then they will have approached the license holder and obtained permissions.

There is also the added situation that rF2 is owned by Motorsport Games - the developer of the planned BTCC game which is going to use a combination of the rF2 and Unreal engines.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by thetool

Codemasters still held the rights to the series up until a few years ago, despite the fact the series hadn't featured in any of their games since 2002.

I suspect that is the reason why TOCA now put a lot of conditions on the rights.

Codemaster obtained the rights when Richard West was running TOCA. As I recall when Alan Gow came back he was quite annoyed that the rights had effectively been given away with no provision that a game would actually be produced.

[Greem]

Sounds like Mr Gilham has had an expensive weekend at Brands Hatch at the GTWC meeting. One 911 more or less written off on Friday, and then a big off in the Ginetta.

I hope it doesn't put much of a dent in the finances.

[yellowbeard]

Originally Posted by Greem

Sounds like Mr Gilham has had an expensive weekend at Brands Hatch at the GTWC meeting. One 911 more or less written off on Friday, and then a big off in the Ginetta.

I hope it doesn't put much of a dent in the finances.

I kind of assumed that for most race series apart from BTCC that he just just engineered and ran cars that belonged to the drivers themselves, although assumptions are often wrong lol

[S griffin]

He probably did help out a lot with other series, while still doing his thing in the BTCC. He's a good engineer I have heard, so it wouldn't surprise me

[Greem]

Team HARD have a lot of irons in a lot of fires - BTCC, GT Cup, Ginetta Juniors, JSCC, Ginetta GT4, Britcar and others.

Some of the cars belong to the team. So far as I am aware, the Porsche that had to withdraw might not have been, but the Ginetta that Tony's co-driver dropped on Sunday was one of their own. Either way, two crashes that are going to slow down their GT Cup aspirations a bit.

[Gonzo0]

Originally Posted by Gonzo0

Watch this space. Powell has dropped his BGT seat, incoming at HARD.

Powell now confirmed at HARD.

[Mondeo Man33]

Will Powell confirmed at HARD

https://www.team-hard.com/powell-to-...m-hard-racing/

[Pickles]

https://www.team-hard.com/powell-to-...m-hard-racing/

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Gonzo0

Watch this space. Powell has dropped his BGT seat, incoming at HARD.

The date of this post - along with the text of the btcc.net article suggests the announcement was delayed for some reason?

Latest News posted 3rd May 2022 - 'Will Powell has today (29 April) been confirmed'......

[Craner Curves]

Tony G is making tenuous links to David Brabham in the press release ?

[S griffin]

Best of luck to Will Powell, hopefully he can make the switch successfully

[antnee]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Tony G is making tenuous links to David Brabham in the press release ?

Not unimaginable to think Brabham might join Powell for some rounds if he is his driver coach...

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by antnee

Not unimaginable to think Brabham might join Powell for some rounds if he is his driver coach...

Agreed - and the detail is also included on Will's own website:

“Commercially this deal just makes sense for both parties. We both know each other well, the team know Will and vice-versa and coming into the season late, we wanted to find a driver that already has a relationship with both our staff and partners to build for the long-term.

“Some of the biggest names in motorsport are already working with Will including David Brabham, who mentors him in racing, so adding their knowledge and experience to our programme is a massive positive for everyone involved.”

I don't think it is tenuous - more a recognition of the mentorship.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Agreed - and the detail is also included on Will's own website:

“Commercially this deal just makes sense for both parties. We both know each other well, the team know Will and vice-versa and coming into the season late, we wanted to find a driver that already has a relationship with both our staff and partners to build for the long-term.

“Some of the biggest names in motorsport are already working with Will including David Brabham, who mentors him in racing, so adding their knowledge and experience to our programme is a massive positive for everyone involved.”

I don't think it is tenuous - more a recognition of the mentorship.

He was/is doing BGT GT4 with Lines, wasn't he?