BTCC key info for 2016

For 2016 the technical and sporting regulations remain largely unchanged with exception to the qualifying format for Race 2.

Returning to the 2014 model, the Race 1 finishing order will now form the starting grid for Race 2.

A summary of some key information can be found below.

Race Weekend Format

There are 10 events in the current season, with each event run across a weekend (Saturday and Sunday).

• The points system is 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 for the top 15 finishers. This method of scoring is also applied to independent drivers’ and teams’ championship and the overall teams’.

• Dunlop Tyres
• On Sunday there are three BTCC racesSingle bonus points are awarded for the fastest qualifier, fastest laps and leading laps during races.All teams in the BTCC must use Dunlop SportMaxx tyres. There are two dry compounds as well as the SportMaxx BluResponse tyre for wet conditions.
• On Saturday there are two Free Practice sessions of 40 minutes and one Qualifying session of 30 minutes
• The medium or standard tyre is used in two of the three races per event. Teams must nominate which race they will use the soft compound tyre in before qualifying on Saturday, but this information is not released until Sunday morning
• Teams may only use the soft tyre in each of the three races three times during the course of the season – meaning they can only use it in race three at a maximum of three events, race two at three events etc.
• If the team chooses to use the soft tyre in a race that turns out to be wet, they have to attempt to use the soft tyre in the day’s next race. The soft tyre allocation does not carry over across race meetings

• Race grids
• The grid for race one is decided during Saturday’s qualifying session
• The grid for race two is based on the finishing order of race on
• The grid for race three is based on finishing positions, however there is also a reversed-grid element to the starting order. Numbers representing the cars that finished from sixth to tenth position in race two are put into a bowl, and one number is drawn at random. The corresponding car will start on pole, with the cars that finished ahead of it reversed i.e. if number six is chosen, the car that finished sixth in race two will start from pole ahead of the car that finished fifth, fourth, third etc. The remainder of the grid follows as per the finishing order of race two

• Success Ballast
• Cars that are successful in the BTCC must carry ballast (additional weight) in their cars. Ballast is given to the top ten runners in the following allocations:
• 1^st: 75kg, 2^nd: 66kg 3^rd: 57kg, 4^th: 48kg, 5^th: 39kg, 6^th: 33kg, 7^th: 27kg, 8^th: 21kg, 9^th: 15kg, 10^th: 9kg
• Between events, ballast is allocated according to championship positions and is carried in qualifying and race one
• For races two and three, ballast is allocated according to the finishing positions in race one and two respectively

The first event on the BTCC Calendar takes place this weekend at Kent’s Brands Hatch with rounds 1, 2 and 3 shown live on ITV4.

“The grid for race two is based on the finishing order of race one”

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