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

[Steel Wheels]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

Thanks for coming back on here, Rowbo. I think we were all massively impressed with your first season with your first season for Team Dynamics, and I can't think of a single other occasion in motorsport where a driver has improved that much from one season to a next (I assume you and Morgan weren't always driving equal cars in 2019). It's great that you will be staying for next year, and I for one am convinced that Matt Neal will also be returning in a third Dynamics car.

Indeed Rowbo certainly silenced the critics. Unless Matt is chasing down Carl Boardley with his chequebook in hand I’d be surprised to see a 3rd Dynamic’s car.

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by Rowbo01

Lolz…

I’m pretty safe I reckon, unless the big man sacks me?? ?

We are ready to rock and roll, let’s get our hybrid on!!

?

Oh yea, I also heard Jake is taking my seat, so it’s all fun and games!

any plans how to end the suffocating Sutton stranglehold on the champoionship ?

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

any plans how to end the suffocating Sutton stranglehold on the champoionship ?

Pull up their socks and try being better than him??

[crmalcolm]

Amazing how BTCC fans can turn a driver's engaging interaction with fans into a passive aggressive attack on the series.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

any plans how to end the suffocating Sutton stranglehold on the champoionship ?

I'm sure that BTCC competitors would either
A not reveal tactics on a public platform.
B not reveal areas of development in public.

[S griffin]

I'm sure everyone would be doing their utmost to win the championship. But it all depends on a number of things, like what car they have under them

[BTCC frog]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

any plans how to end the suffocating Sutton stranglehold on the champoionship ?

Well Sutton's key advantage last season was how well the Infiniti carried the weight and that advantage is now gone. I'm not sure the Hondas were particularly badly affected by the weight, in fact they were probably second-best after the Infiniti, but in terms of the general championship, Ingram and Turkington in particular should be much closer if they stay with their respective teams, as should Hill. I think Team Dynamics should also be closer as both drivers were new to the team and car last season (or at least Shedden hadn't been there for a while and had never raced the FK8), and with an extra year's experience I would expect them to be back ahead of BTC Racing next year, particularly if BTC lose Josh Cook. And if we also factor in that Ash Sutton is probably not going to be at Laser Tools next season, and is likely to be driving a completely new car, that should also slow him down a bit as he and BMR get used to the new car. So I think 'the suffocating Sutton stranglehold' is going to be broken for next year. That's not to say he won't win again, just that it will be much closer.

[AnnoyedMoose]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

Well Sutton's key advantage last season was how well the Infiniti carried the weight and that advantage is now gone.

Has it though? The hybrid system weighs close to the maximum ballast so all those with cars that struggled to carry that weight have got a lot of work to do to get their cars sorted whereas Ash (assuming he stays with the same car and even if he doesn't his team obviously found a "trick" to running a heavy car) can concentrate on wringing the last couple of percent out of the package.

[Rowbo01]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

any plans how to end the suffocating Sutton stranglehold on the champoionship ?

That’s a difficult one - Ash is one of the best drivers I have ever came across, in a car that, once you understand the fundamentals, and the logic behind how that car is able to operate, the two hand in hand are an indestructible force…

We all have the same “tools” in effect, but, having raced that car and driver, it’s impossible to beat (over a points scoring season), it’s as fast as us with full weight and obviously after average R1 just gets faster all day, whereas we get slower…

It is what it is, I’d not trying to take anything off Ash, the key to being the best, is putting yourself in the prime position to win at all times, which he has done successfully, and it is worth noting his talent is unreal… however… I think there are a few of us, same car, same place, same tyre, that would take it to him. It would be a bloody good boxing match if nothing else!

To answer the question, we are at the drawing board.

But then so is Ash and crew…

[Rowbo01]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Pull up their socks and try being better than him??

Bloody hell!

Now you’ve said that, 2022 will be a breeze!

I jest…

[BTCC frog]

Rowbo, here is a question I wanted to ask a racing driver since Charles Leclerc's crash in Monaco qualifying this year:

In the BTCC, in a dry session, the fastest race laps are always around half a second slower than the pole position time (depending on the length of the track). Obviously some of this will be down to tyre saving, or maybe having more fuel in the car, but my question is, is part of that time lost because you are more fearful of making a mistake in a race situation as it would be more costly than in qualifying when you get to have another go, or you already have a banker lap in? Or is that not something that you think about when racing?

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by AnnoyedMoose

Has it though? The hybrid system weighs close to the maximum ballast so all those with cars that struggled to carry that weight have got a lot of work to do to get their cars sorted whereas Ash (assuming he stays with the same car and even if he doesn't his team obviously found a "trick" to running a heavy car) can concentrate on wringing the last couple of percent out of the package.

sutton got on the podium only once all year with full ballast and never won a race with full weight.
but the hondas won races with full ballast
so the infiniti is not exactly a rocket ship with full weight

[AnnoyedMoose]

Originally Posted by touring fan01

sutton got on the podium only once all year with full ballast and never won a race with full weight.
but the hondas won races with full ballast
so the infiniti is not exactly a rocket ship with full weight

It's a heck of a lot better than the Fords and Hyundai though as they fell right to the back when weighed up plus Ash was banking points rather than going for race wins. He seemed to get a fair few fastest laps with full ballast from what I can remember.

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by AnnoyedMoose

He seemed to get a fair few fastest laps with full ballast from what I can remember.

just two

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by AnnoyedMoose

It's a heck of a lot better than the Fords and Hyundai though as they fell right to the back when weighed up plus Ash was banking points rather than going for race wins. He seemed to get a fair few fastest laps with full ballast from what I can remember.

Jake Hill's average R1 finish was 1 place behind Sutton. Ingram's was 1.3 places.

It was R2 with some of the ballast out where Sutton capitalised. He finished 1.8 places ahead of Ingram, and 5.3 places ahead of Hill.

[Jon411]

Have been catching up on last week's coverage this afternoon and know we are still some months off knowing for sure but that's the most certain I think I've seen Dick Bennetts and Turks appear to be at this point of the year with regards to plans for the following year. A WSR announcement in 'a few weeks' could be any time this side of Christmas I guess.

Looking forward to seeing which teams get on top of the hybrid system the quickest, great chance for one of the mid-field teams to get on top of it and mix the order up at the start of 2022.

[S griffin]

I just hope next year, we get cars livery that are more distinctive than they were this year. Too many black liveried cars for my liking this season just gone. Was a nightmare trying to tell them apart at times

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I just hope next year, we get cars livery that are more distinctive than they were this year. Too many black liveried cars for my liking this season just gone. Was a nightmare trying to tell them apart at times

I agree with you about the liveries. To me, that's been a serious problem since 2019.

[yellowbeard]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I just hope next year, we get cars livery that are more distinctive than they were this year. Too many black liveried cars for my liking this season just gone. Was a nightmare trying to tell them apart at times

Cough up for a teams title sponsorship and, low and behold, you'll be able to choose a livery you like. Problem solved

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

To me, that's been a serious problem since 2019.

Really - a serious problem? Which cars did you struggle to differentiate in 2019?

Mind you - if the serious problem with BTCC is that a handful of cars have sponsors that use the same colours, then the series is in a healthy place.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Really - a serious problem? Which cars did you struggle to differentiate in 2019?

Mind you - if the serious problem with BTCC is that a handful of cars have sponsors that use the same colours, then the series is in a healthy place.

I just feel the liveries have been lacking in variety since 2019.

[VIVA GT]

The important thing about the weight situation is that having the hybrid system, all of the cars will weigh the same all of the time. So, at the first race of the day when cars running weight based on championship positions successful cars will have that disadvantage and probably not qualify and finish race 1, starting race 2 lighter and aiming for a result in race 3.For next year the teams can optimise the car to run well/optimise the tyres at tis maximum weight, the difference in performance will only be due to the levels of electrical energy available (as this will be the new BOP measure).

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

I just feel the liveries have been lacking in variety since 2019.

I guess that's BTCC's equivalent of a 1st World Problem?

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Really - a serious problem? Which cars did you struggle to differentiate in 2019?

Mind you - if the serious problem with BTCC is that a handful of cars have sponsors that use the same colours, then the series is in a healthy place.

WSR with Cicely in the background

Ditto with Dynamics and BTC

the Infinitis all being the same like many other teams , where as the Hyundais had different colors and were much easiet to make out

[antnee]

You would think the teams want their cars to stand out more so the sponsors get better coverage. It is frustrating not being able to work out who is who straight away.

There was a lot of black based liveries this year, 5x BMWs, 5x Hondas, 2 Focus and from some angles 4 Cupras. That's 16 cars out of 29! The Toyotas, Hyundai's and Infinitis were easy enough to pick out, but the MB Focus and Astras looked similar.