2023 BTCC Teams and Drivers | Will Powell completes the grid | GRR

Will Powell completes 2023 BTCC Grid with One Motorsport

Updated: Tuesday 11^th April 2023 at 15:15. One Motorsport has announced Will Powell will be behind the wheel of its third Honda Civic Type R this season, as he becomes the 27^th and final name confirmed for the 2023 BTCC grid.

Revealed on the eve of the Season Launch at Donington Park, Powell moves across to One Motorsport, formerly known as BTC Racing, having made his BTCC debut in 2022 with Team HARD Racing. Having competed in seven of the ten race meetings last season, 2023 will mark the first full season in the British Touring Car Championship for Powell.

Having had a career predominantly in single seaters and GT racing, highlighted by becoming Britcar Endurance Champion in 2021, the Birmingham-based 38-year-old will join One Motorsport in a managerial capacity alongside his racing duties. Assuming the role of Commercial and Marketing Director, One Motorsport will merge with Powell’s own Motus One sportscar outfit, which itself has competed at the highest level of sportscar racing and is aided by its senior motorsport consultant, David Brabham.

“After a busy winter of change, I’m delighted to be driving for One Motorsport with Starline Racing this year,” said Powell. “We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to merge the touring car and sportscar programmes over the winter and rebrand to One Motorsport. It’s great to be working with experienced campaigners like Josh and Aiden [Cook and Moffat, his new teammates], who I know I can learn from, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.”

Powell will be hoping to break his points duck in the BTCC following a season near the back of the pack in the Team HARD Cupra, and will be eyeing Jack Sears Trophy honours in the hugely competitive Honda Civic Type R. Completing a 27-car grid for 2023, Powell brings the total of competitors for the Jack Sears Trophy – for drivers yet to finish on a BTCC podium – up to ten.

The entire BTCC field will be revealed together tomorrow (12^th April) at Brands Hatch, ahead of the first round of the championship at Donington Park across the weekend of the 22^nd and 23^rd April.

Nic Hamilton completes six-car Team Hard stable

Updated: Thursday 6^th April 2023 at 09:30. Nic Hamilton will be the sixth and final driver for Tony Gilham’s Team Hard Racing in the 2023 British Touring Car Championship.

Lining up in what will be his fifth consecutive BTCC season, and fourth with Team Hard, Hamilton is aiming to build on competitive results in 2022, looking to secure points finishes and compete for Jack Sears Trophy honours.

First debuting in the championship halfway through the 2015 season, Hamilton has been a regular sight on the BTCC grid since 2019, competing with Motorbase for one season before jumping across to Team Hard’s Volkswagen CC in 2020, where he scored a career best result of 15^th at Brands Hatch that year.

Ahead of his third season in the Team Hard Cupra Leon, and second with his bespoke brake servo system, Hamilton is hoping to not only continue to develop the technology, but also build on strong results.

“I am so grateful and blessed to be back on the BTCC grid with Team HARD. for 2023,” said Hamilton. “Continuity is everything and I feel right at home with the team, as I look to develop the improving pace I found in 2022. Both the car and team look to be in a great position going into this year and so I cannot wait to get started and work alongside both my returning and new team-mates.”

“We remain focused on pushing the limits of our performance,” added Gilham. “We will continue to develop Nic’s brake servo technology, aiming to help him maintain consistency on the track he needs to have his best season yet.

“Having a stable driver line-up is essential for our success, and we are delighted to have Nic back in the driver’s seat for another year. Together, we are ready to take on the challenges of the 2023 season and strive for a strong season.”

The announcement of Hamilton leaves just one seat left to fill on the 2023 BTCC grid, following Team Dynamics’ withdrawal from the upcoming season. That seat is the third One Motorsport Honda Civic Type R, and despite Dynamics taking on a support role with the team formerly known as BTC Racing, it is not expected to be filled by Gordon Shedden, who will be absent from the BTCC grid for the first time since 2020.

Team Dynamics to take BTCC Hiatus

Updated: Wednesday 5^th April at 16:35. Team Dynamics will not compete in the 2023 British Touring Car Championship, confirming one of the hottest rumours of the series’ off-season.

Citing the current economic climate as the reason behind the team being unable to find a commercial partner and secure the relevant funds for the upcoming campaign, team owner Matt Neal stated that it was an “extremely difficult decision to make as a business.”

“I’ve been in the BTCC all my life and it has presented us with many fantastic opportunities and memories,” added the three-time champion. “I’m extremely disappointed that we will not be directly involved and saddened for our dedicated employees, partners, fans and supporters.”

While the Pershore-based team will not line up on the grid for the season opener at Donington Park, its presence will still be felt, as it will be supporting One Motorsport throughout the year, whilst simultaneously building its classic, touring car and GT business, and running multiple customer cars in various global championships.

“We would like to thank everyone involved in the BTCC, especially Alan Gow, who has supported us over the years,” concluded Neal. “We wish all the teams and drivers, particularly One Motorsport with Neil Brown Engineering, the best of luck for the forthcoming season. We hope to actively be back in the BTCC in the future.”

Jade Edwards Joins Team HARD

Updated: Tuesday 4th April 2023 at 12:00. Jade Edwards has switched teams ahead of the upcoming BTCC season, becoming the fifth driver to be announced for Team HARD in 2023.

Edwards made her debut in the BTCC during the truncated 2020 season, competing for Power Maxed Racing at Silverstone, before gaining a full season drive with BTC Racing in 2021. She would return to the Honda squad in 2022, but will not form part of the rebranded One Motorsport outfit for 2023, instead opting to drive one of the Team HARD Cupra Leons.

The Ascot-based racer has achieved two points finished in her BTCC career to date, one coming in each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons at Snetterton and Brands Hatch respectively, as well as achieving a Jack Sears Trophy victory at Oulton Park last year.

The move is a return to Team HARD for Edwards, having previously competed with Tony Gilham’s Dartford-based squad in the 2019 Renault Clio Cup. She will be the eighth driver on the grid to qualify for Jack Sears Trophy honours, and the third within the five-car Team Hard contingent.

“I’m really excited to be joining Team HARD Racing for the 2023 BTCC season,” said Edwards. “I have been following the team’s progress for a while and I am impressed with their professionalism and commitment to success. I’m confident that I will be able to build on my experience from last year and work well with the team to achieve some great results on track.” 

“We are thrilled to have Jade joining us for the 2023 BTCC season,” added Team HARD Managing Director Tony Gilham. “She is an exceptional driver with a lot of potential, and we believe she will be a great asset to our team. Both Jade and the team have come on a long way since we previously worked together and we are ready to provide her with the best platform to have her best season in the BTCC to date.”

Expanded three-car line-up revealed for Toyota Gazoo Racing UK

Updated: 29^th March 2023 at 15:00. As was revealed with the publishing of the TOCA BTCC Licence (TBL) list, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK has now confirmed an expanded three-car line-up will take to the BTCC grid in 2023, sporting a Toyota-derived engine for the first time. 

Rory Butcher and Ricky Collard will return to the cockpits of their Speedworks Motorsport-run Toyota Corollas, and will be joined in the new third car by George Gamble, who impressed in his rookie BTCC season throughout 2022.

Driving a rear-wheel-drive BMW 330e M Sport for Ciceley Motorsport last season, Gamble took a sensational podium in only his second race in the series, which was backed up by a win in the third race at Knockhill later in the year. The Nottingham-based driver narrowly missed out on the Jack Sears Trophy in 2022, and will be looking to build on the solid foundations he laid in his debut year.

Team-mate Rory Butcher, himself a former Jack Sears Trophy winner and Independents’ Champion, will be hoping to continue the run of form that he ended 2022 on, where he took five podium results in the final six races on his way to fifth in the overall standings. Butcher returns for a third consecutive season in the Toyota Corolla GR Sport, while Ricky Collard also comes back for a second season in the works Toyota outfit. 

Collard, son of BTCC race winner Rob and grandson of hot rod legend Mick, narrowly missed out on a podium at Snetterton last season, as he worked his way to 16^th overall in the standings, and will be hoping to improve his results with a full season of racing in a front-wheel-drive touring car under his belt.

Unveiled in Burnaston at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK), it was also announced that the team would be switching out the TOCA engine this year for a Toyota-derived power unit tuned by Neil Brown Engineering – who also builds engines for BMW and Honda.

“It’s fair to say we’re all extremely excited ahead of the new season,” said Team Principal Christian Dick. “It’s a significant challenge to expand from two cars to three, but at the same time, having three sets of data to cross-reference should allow us to make progress faster than we’ve ever done before. The new engine is also a key factor. The TOCA unit has played an important role in our success down the years in the BTCC, but to take the final step and really fight for the championship, we needed control over all elements of the package – and that is what we now have.

“On the driver front, Rory is a class act who is more than ready to mount a consistent title challenge, while Ricky can focus on turning the promise he displayed in 2022 into some really strong results. As to George, he caught our attention early on last year – it takes a pretty special talent to win a race as a rookie in the BTCC – and while his surname might be Gamble, we’re confident that his signing will prove to be no risk at all.”

Mikey Doble fills expanded Power Maxed Racing

Following the announcement that Power Maxed Racing, now to be known as CarStore Power Maxed Racing through a new commercial agreement, had acquired a third TOCA Race Licence (TBL), the squad has now confirmed its third and final driver as BTCC debutante, Mikey Doble.

The 24-year-old will graduate to the British Touring Car Championship this year after a stellar 2022 season saw him clinch not one, but two, championships. Doble’s achievement is even more eye-opening when you look closer and see that he won both crowns on a single weekend, becoming both the Ginetta GT5 Challenge and BMW Compact Cup champion in a year that saw 12 wins and ten podium finishes across both series.

“To be able to announce I’ll be joining the BTCC for 2023 is an absolute dream come true,” said Doble. “I’ve watched the BTCC for more than 20 years and have always had my sights set on one day becoming a touring car driver.

“I’d like to thank CarStore Power Maxed Racing for believing in me enough to give me this opportunity; joining their line-up gives me great confidence in taking on the challenge of what will be my rookie year in the BTCC. Stepping up into the BTCC is of course a huge jump for anyone, but with the professionalism and experience that PMR possesses, I’ll be aiming to score points and challenge for the Jack Sears Trophy.”

Doble becomes the second rookie in the newly-expanded Power Maxed Racing, alongside fellow newby Andrew Watson and BTCC regular Aron Taylor-Smith in what is an all-new line-up for the Vauxhall Astra squad.

It has not been confirmed which TBL was sold to Power Maxed Racing, and the confirmation leaves two TBL allocations to be announced for the 2023 grid. Before Power Maxed Racing’s expansion, two TBLs were allocated to Aiden Moffat Racing and a third to Carl Boardley Motorsport. With Aiden Moffat already confirmed to be competing with One Motorsport this season, it is highly unlikely that there will be a separate entry from the team.

Elsewhere, the West Surrey Racing-run Team BMW squad unveiled its new 330e M Sport for the upcoming season, which will once again feature the traditional BMW works colours of white, blue and red.

Aron Taylor-Smith moves to Power Maxed Racing

Updated: Tuesday 28^th February 2023 at 13:05. BTCC race winner Aron Taylor-Smith will fill the second seat in an all-new driver pairing for Power Maxed Racing for the 2023 season.

Taking to the Vauxhall Astra alongside series debutante Andrew Watson, Taylor-Smith will be bringing an experienced head to the Power Maxed Racing garage, boasting four wins and 18 podium finishes in his eight seasons in Britain’s top flight of tin-top racing.

Taylor-Smith’s first outing in the BTCC was to replace Tony Gilham at Triple 8 Race Engineering for 2011’s Knockhill meeting, before a full-time drive with Motorbase Performance came the following season. A victory in the final round of the year impressed many, and Taylor-Smith went on to compete for Team BMR, alongside Jason Plato and Colin Turkington, and later the works MG squad before taking a sabbatical from the championship at the end of 2017.

Returning to the grid in 2021 with Team HARD, Taylor-Smith has yet to hit the heights of his earlier BTCC career, which saw him visit the podium every year between 2012 and 2016. 

“This is a dream come true for me”, said Taylor-Smith. “The dream after this is to win another race in the BTCC and the dream after that is to fight for a championship.

“We’ve tried to get a deal done in the past and it’s never quite come together, so I am beyond happy that it has this year. Visiting the workshop and seeing what they have done over the winter, I have never been more confident going into a season.”

Power Maxed Racing team manager Adam Weaver shares Taylor-Smith’s enthusiasm for the upcoming year, stating that he has “never been this excited about a BTCC campaign”. 

NAPA Racing UK expands to a four-car line-up

Reigning British Touring Car Championship Teams’ Champions NAPA Racing UK has announced big plans for the upcoming season, which includes doubling its garage from two to four for 2023.

Dan Cammish and the 2022 vice-champion Ash Sutton will return to the Ford team as their multi-year deals in blue and yellow continue, while Sam Osborne will wear NAPA Racing UK colours having raced for the secondary Apec Racing team last season. It had already been announced that Ollie Jackson would be leaving Motorbase Performance for 2023, opting to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB instead, which left a spare Ford Focus for the upcoming campaign. That seat has now been confirmed to be filled by race-winner Dan Rowbottom, who makes the switch to the Motorbase-run Ford squad from the Honda Civic Type Rs of Team Dynamics, bringing his CataClean backing with him.

Rowbottom will be eyeing up further trips to the podium in 2023, while team-mates Cammish and Sutton will have their sights set firmly on overall title honours, after an incredibly strong tail end of 2023 left the latter just 12 points shy of eventual champion Tom Ingram. Osborne, meanwhile, will be hoping to take Jack Sears Trophy honours, having finished fourth in last year’s challenge.

There had been rumours that NAPA Racing UK would be changing cars for 2023, and at the tail end of last season there was confirmation that the team had been exploring rear-wheel-drive options from Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Audi and even Jaguar. However, this announcement confirms that the team will continue with the Ford Focus ST that it has competed in the BTCC with since 2011.

“At the end of last season, we did look into other options of base car model for the 2023 season,” explained Team Manager Oly Collins, “but ultimately with a car & team which won the Teams Championship outright last year, we decided to continue for another season with the Focus ST. We have a lot of knowledge in the Focus and have invested over the winter to further improve the package in an aim to get the number one back on one of our cars as soon as possible.

“We’re absolutely delighted to announce the four-car line up with NAPA this year. I’m really looking forward to seeing all four cars line up on the grid for the first time. Since NAPA Racing UK started this journey with us, it has been non-stop excitement and evolution. Together, we have brought a new approach to the Championship and shown exactly how to maximise opportunities wherever possible. Every area of the team behind this have pushed boundaries both on and off track, so we’re really looking forward to our second season as NAPA Racing UK.”

Butel joins Team HARD squad

Updated Friday 17th February at 18:30: Jack Butel will get behind the wheel of the fourth Cupra Leon under the Team HARD banner for the 2023 British Touring Car Championship season.

Butel makes the switch to Tony Gilham’s squad off the back of two seasons with the Excelr8 Hyundai outfit, in which he scored four points finishes across 2021 and 2022, three of which came at Thruxton, the fastest circuit on the calendar.

Having made his debut with Adam Morgan’s Ciceley Motorsport in 2020, Butel has scored points in all three of his BTCC campaigns to date and will be hoping that he can challenge for Jack Sears Trophy honours as he joins the team which took that particular crown with Bobby Thompson in 2022.

“I’m back again for another crack at the BTCC and I’m delighted to be able to move across to Team HARD. for this season,” said Butel. “It’s something that I have been looking at doing for a while, but our paths have never quite aligned.

“I’ve watched the team grow stronger and stronger over the years and now is a great time to join them. The Cupra looks fast, there is a buzz around the team and having met a lot of the staff, I know we are going to have a great relationship as we push the team on even further this year.”  

“Jack is a great lad and we’ve been in talks for a few years now to try and get him into one of our Cupra Leons,” added Team Owner Tony Gilham. “I’m delighted to say that 2023 is that year, and we can’t wait to work on making this season the most successful year for Jack in the BTCC to date. He is a driver that we really believe in and we are confident that he will be able to challenge consistently for the Jack Sears this season to help up defend the title won by Bobby in 2022.”

Butel becomes the fifth driver eligible for the Jack Sears Trophy in 2023, alongside team-mate Dexter Patterson, Power Maxed Racing’s Andrew Watson, and Nick Halstead and Ronan Pearson, who compete with Butel’s former team, Excelr8 Motorsport.

Colin Turkington eyes more trophies with WSR

Updated: Thursday 9^th February at 08:00. Four-time BTCC champion Colin Turkington will once again line up in a West Surrey Racing-run BMW 330e M Sport for the 2023 campaign.

The announcement of Turkington in the WSR stable completes the four-car attack for the upcoming season. The Northern Irishman joins previous team-mates Jake Hill (competing under the new Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport banner) and Stephen Jelley, as well as new recruit Adam Morgan.

Turkington made his BTCC debut with WSR in 2002 in the unique Team Atomic Kitten squad, and has competed in all but three of his 18 BTCC seasons with the Dick Bennetts-run team, winning all four of his overall drivers’ titles, and four of his five independents’ honours, in a WSR BMW. Throughout his career he has notched up 63 race wins – the joint-second highest total of all time – and has helped BMW claim a record-breaking seven consecutive Manufacturers’ titles. 

“I’m extremely pleased to be a part of the WSR team for the 2023 season and to race the BMW 330e M Sport,” said Turkington. “This will be my 15^th year with WSR and you couldn’t ask for a better team to be a part of. I’ve been in title contention every year since I came back here in 2017 and naturally the aim is to go to Brands Hatch in October with everything to play for.

“With Adam joining, I now have three strong team-mates all with the same ambition to win, and that gives me an opportunity to keep learning and improve myself. To stay in the hunt, we’ll have to bring our A-game to every event, and that’s where being with a team like WSR, with its engineering expertise and experience of winning championships, is a huge plus point.”

Team Principal Dick Bennetts added: “We’re very honoured to keep Colin with us in 2023. He was a young man when he first raced for us in 2002 and being part of his growth from a promising youngster into a race winner and then into one of the most successful drivers in the history of the BTCC has been very special. 

“Naturally, our target is to win the drivers’, teams’, and manufacturers’ titles this year and we have a very strong line-up to help us achieve this. While it gets tougher every year as the level of competition improves and the rules are continually evolving to level the playing field, the way we go about things at WSR has consistently put us at or near the front over the past decade. Having a driver like Colin in our corner, with his never-say-die attitude, his analytical approach, searing speed and loyalty has been one of the cornerstones of that.”

Less than two months after announcing that it was withdrawing from the British Touring Car Championship, Laser Tools Racing has confirmed it will indeed return to the grid in 2023, joining with title challengers MB Motorsport.

Laser Tools Racing first joined the BTCC in 2014 as title sponsor to Aiden Moffat’s family-run team, adorning the team’s Chevrolet Cruze before the switch to a Mercedes-Benz A Class from 2015 until another change to the Infiniti Q50 halfway through 2019. The team then joined forces with former champions BMR Racing in 2020, fielding a pair of Q50s with 2017 champion Ash Sutton in the second car. The team won back-to-back titles with Sutton before the three-time champion moved to NAPA Racing UK in 2022 and Laser Tools Racing became part of the wider Team HARD banner. 

The Laser Tools name was expected to be absent from the grid in 2023, but the December announcement left the door open for a potential return to the championship in future, and a new deal has now been inked with Mark Blundell’s MB Motorsport squad, who fell just 13 points of the overall crown with Jake Hill in 2022. With a year in the West Surrey Racing camp under their belts, both Hill and Blundell are confident they can challenge for the title once more in the BMW 330e M Sport. 

“We have been very impressed with the team at MB Motorsport and we feel that Jake Hill is a future BTCC Champion,” said Martin Smith, Chairman of Laser Tools. “Mark Blundell has demonstrated that the synergy between Laser Tools Racing and MB Motorsport is already obvious. We are proud to be still competing in the BTCC and very much looking forward to what is sure to be a very exciting year for us.”

“It is a hugely exciting moment for the MB Motorsport organisation to announce our new title partners in the shape of Laser Tools as we ramp up our preparations for 2023,” added Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport Sporting Director, Mark Blundell. 

GT ace Watson to make BTCC debut with Power Maxed Racing

Updated: Thursday 19th January 2023 at 08:45. Power Maxed Racing has become the first team to make a driver announcement in 2023, as former GT ace Andrew Watson swaps Le Mans, Monza and Bathurst for the circuits of the British Touring Car Championship in 2023.

The first driver to be confirmed in one of the team’s two Vauxhall Astras for the upcoming season, the 27-year-old is hoping that his impressive endurance-based CV will fare well in the argie-bargie setting of British Touring Cars.

“Getting the opportunity to compete in the BTCC is really exciting,” offered Watson. “The championship itself is highly competitive and offers a challenge which I am eager to tackle. From 2012 to 2014 I raced as part of the support package through the Ginetta ladder and I’ve always loved following the championship. It’s a big change for me in a lot of aspects but the team’s knowledge and professionalism will help me on that journey.”

With podium results in class on the global stage at the 6 Hours of Monza and 8 Hours of Bahrain in the FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as the Bathurst 12 Hours, the Northern Irishman has made a career of competing in high-powered, rear wheel drive GT cars, a world away from the front wheel drive hatchbacks of the BTCC.

“The challenge of front-wheel drive will be an interesting one,” admitted Watson, “but I’m looking forward to tackling it and I have no doubt that with an experienced team around me, we will be able to surprise a few people this year.”

Daniel Lloyd moves to Team HARD

Updated: Tuesday 3rd January 2023 at 10:35. Fresh from his strongest season in his BTCC career, Daniel Lloyd will move across the paddock into the Team HARD stable for 2023, setting his sights on the Independents’ Championship crown in the process.

Announced just as we were starting to think about putting the turkey in the oven on the 22^nd December 2022, Lloyd’s move came as a bit of a surprise to many, particularly after scoring three victories in the Excelr8 Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance in 2022. Two of his three wins came at his home circuit of Croft – which was also the location of his first ever BTCC win with BTC Racing back in 2018.

One of the most successful drivers in TCR machinery, both in the UK and in Asia, the move to Team HARD has been hailed a “major coup” by team owner Tony Gilham, while Lloyd has also explained that some of the names found working in the Team HARD garage were a big reason for choosing the Cupra Leon squad in 2023. 

“The fact that they have someone with the knowledge and experience of Kevin Berry to head the engineering team is a major plus point for me, as is the fact that I’m going to have a top-class engineer on my car in the shape of Adam Tanner, who I worked with successfully during my time with Eurotech,” explained Lloyd. “With a strong pit crew around me, I feel the ingredients are in place to build something good in 2023, and I’m confident of another strong season on track.”

Lloyd’s move to Team HARD leaves just one seat left to fill in the Dartford-based squad’s line-up for 2023, and sets up a tantalising inter-team rivalry between Lloyd and previously confirmed Bobby Thompson, both of whom have stated their intention to come away from 2023 with their names on the Independents’ trophy.

Dexter Patterson jumps ship to Team HARD

Updated: Thursday 15th December 2022 at 10:00. Dexter Patterson will return to the BTCC for a second season in 2023, driving one of Team HARD’s Cupra Leons following the withdrawal of Laser Tools Racing. The 2017 Junior World Karting champion made his debut in 2022 with Aiden Moffat’s family-run squad in one of the ageing Infiniti Q50s. Three points finishes gave the young Scot five points to take home from his first campaign, and he is now setting his sights on Jack Sears Trophy glory in 2023.

“Switching to the Cupra Leon was a no-brainer for me after the test I completed in November,” said the former Sauber Junior Team member. “The car felt really positive and provided me with a baseline that I can work with over the winter to move up the field and challenge for the Jack Sears Trophy. I’m looking forward to being integrated into the team and seeing what we can achieve together.”

Patterson becomes the second driver confirmed in the four-car Team HARD stable alongside reigning Jack Sears Trophy winner Bobby Thompson, who the Scot will be hoping he can learn from over the course of the season. Meanwhile, Aiden Moffat has hinted at a change in car following Laser Tools’ decision to withdraw from the BTCC in 2023. Moffat was then seen at an event posing in front of a Team HARD Cupra Leon, and while nothing has been said as of yet, it has certainly got the rumour mill churning.

Jake Hill and MB Motorsport confirm second season with West Surrey Racing

West Surrey Racing swiftly followed the announcement that Adam Morgan would be joining the BMW squad with the confirmation that Jake Hill will once again line up with the BMW squad for 2023. Not only does the news signal Hill’s second year with Dick Bennetts’ WSR team, but also the fourth consecutive season with Mark Blundell’s MB Motorsport programme.

The 2022 campaign was by far the most successful for both Hill and MB Motorsport, with the Kentish driver taking three wins, 13 podiums, two pole positions and smashing lap records twice en route to five fastest laps across the year. The continuity will be somewhat new for Hill, though, because 2023 will mark the first time he will drive the same car for consecutive years. With a full season under his belt in the 330e M Sport, Hill should be on the pace right from the very off (which, in fairness, he was in 2022), and will no doubt be at the sharp end of everyone’s pre-season predictions.

“Last year felt like a year where I truly arrived in the Championship,” enthused Hill. “To be able to have that consistency in our programme heading into 2023 can only be a huge help, for what will be a first for me in my time in the BTCC. There’s no hiding from what our aim will be heading into the new season – it’s now a case of getting our heads down and getting to work.”

Both of Hill’s bosses, Blundell and Bennetts, were quick to sing Hill’s praises going into the new season, and it’s clear that both parties are expecting great things of the 28-year-old in 2023. “Jake has proven himself to be one of the most skilled and committed competitors in the field and we look forward to helping him continue his development,” said Bennetts. “We have a very strong relationship with Mark Blundell and his team and this has only strengthened after working together in 2022. We have very high hopes for what can be achieved together as we look ahead to the new season.”

BTCC Licences unveiled, showing capacity 29-car grid

The British Touring Car Championship will once again feature a capacity grid of 29 cars for the 2023 season, following the publication of the TOCA BTCC Licence (TBL) list.

As expected, based on previous news, Cicelely Motorsport no longer features, and the outgoing team’s two TBLs have been allocated elsewhere. One follows former Ciceley spearhead Adam Morgan to West Surrey Racing, as expected, boosting the BMW squad to a four-car unit in 2023. Ciceley’s second TBL has been swept up by Speedworks Motorsport, who runs the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK Corollas, expanding the stable to three cars for 2023.

Carl Boardley Motorsport has also relinquished one of its TBLs to Team HARD, with the former dropping to a single car programme whilst Team HARD now expands to a full four-car entry.

The Full TBL Allocation is listed below, and we will update our grid table as and when team names, drivers, cars and numbers are confirmed.

Bobby Thompson retained by Team HARD for 2022

Updated: Friday 2nd December at 14:00. Bobby Thompson will once again be behind the wheel of a Team HARD Cupra Leon in 2023, the Maidstone-based team has confirmed. Hot on the heels of the publication of the TOCA BTCC Licence list for 2023, and off the back of somewhat of a breakthrough year for Thompson, the reigning Jack Sears Trophy winner has his eyes set on yet more silverware next season.

“I’m excited to be remaining with Team HARD. next year,” said Thompson. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t absolutely buzzing for it! We came off the back of last season with a really strong package at Silverstone and Brands Hatch and I think we have a huge opportunity to challenge for the Independent Drivers’ Championship next year. I’m under no illusions as to the work needed to take the next step, but I believe that both myself and the team are ready.”

The 2022 campaign saw Thompson not only score his first podium result and independent win, but also finished in the points in 21 of the 30 races on route to Jack Sears Trophy honours come the end of the year. An extensive winter testing programme is planned ahead of Thompson’s fifth season in the BTCC.

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For the 2022 champion, however, there was no such uncertainty about where he would be driving. One of the very first announcements for the 2022 season was that Ingram had put pen to paper to extend his deal by a further 12 months, therefore seeing him through to the end of the 2023 campaign. Not only does Ingram have a contract in place to see him through the upcoming season, but ahead of the 2022 season finale, his Excelr8 team-mate Tom Chilton confirmed he would return with the Suffolk-based squad for a second season.

Continuing the momentum, Excelr8 Motorsport, or rather Bristol Street Motors with Excelr8 TradePriceCars.com to give the full, inexplicably long, official team name, announced at the start of November that Ginetta GT Supercup and British GT regular Nick Halstead would be undertaking a full BTCC campaign for the first time. Halstead previously competed in one of the team's Hyundai i30s at Croft in 2021, standing in for Rick Parfitt Jr who had to step aside on medical grounds.

One name we won’t be seeing on entry lists for 2023, however, is Ciceley Motorsport. The Lancashire-based Morgan family team have taken the decision to step away from the BTCC after ten seasons. What this doesn’t mean, though, is the end of Adam Morgan’s time in the championship. The 11-time race winner was confirmed to have jumped ship to West Surrey Racing for the upcoming season, sticking with BMW machinery but this time as part of the legendary works outfit.

While Morgan’s team-mates in the Team BMW side of the garage are yet to be confirmed, there will be some continuity in the fact that Jake Hill will once again line up with the BMW squad for 2023. Not only does the news signal Hill’s second year with Dick Bennetts’ WSR team, but also the fourth consecutive season with Mark Blundell’s MB Motorsport programme.

The 2022 campaign was by far the most successful for both Hill and MB Motorsport, with the Kentish driver taking three wins, 13 podiums, two pole positions and smashing lap records twice en route to five fastest laps across the year. The continuity will be somewhat new for Hill, though, as in all four years of his partnership with MB Motorsport, 2023 will mark the first time he will drive the same car two years on the bounce. With a full season under his belt in the 330e M Sport, Hill should be on the pace right from the very off (which, in fairness, he was in 2022), and will no doubt be at the sharp end of everyone’s pre-season predictions.

“Last year felt like a year where I truly arrived in the Championship,” enthused Hill. “To be able to have that consistency in our programme heading into 2023 can only be a huge help, for what will be a first for me in my time in the BTCC. There’s no hiding from what our aim will be heading into the new season – it’s now a case of getting our heads down and getting to work.”

A capacity grid of 29 cars will compete throughout the 2023 season, as was confirmed with the publication of the TOCA BTCC Licence (TBL) list on 2^nd December.

Carl Boardley Motorsport has also relinquished one of its TBLs to Team HARD, with the former dropping to a single car programme whilst Team HARD now expands to a full four-car entry.

The Full TBL Allocation is listed below, and we will update our grid table as and when team names, drivers, cars and numbers are confirmed.

Excer8 Motorsport - 4

Team Dynamics - 2

Aiden Moffat Racing - 2

Motorbase Performance - 4

Team HARD - 4

Speedworks Motorsport - 3

West Surrey Racing - 4

Power Maxed Racing - 2

BTC Racing - 3

Carl Boardley Motorsport - 1