As the 2021 season draws to a close, it’s the BTCC finale at Brands Hatch. It’s Ash Sutton’s championship to lose, with Colin Turkington’s 32-point deficit a tough gap to close considering not only Sutton’s ability but also his Infinity’s reliability. Having barely put a foot wrong this season, it certainly looks as if he’ll take a third title. Then again, he arrived at Brands in 2020 trailing Turkington and went on to win, so there’s a chance Turkington could do the same.
As at Donington, there will be a Top Ten Showdown qualifying session which you can watch online on Saturday 23 October.
It involves an initial 25-minute session followed by a 10-minute ‘Showdown’. For that, lap times are reset and the top 10 from the first session have another crack at pole position. It’s a bit like F1 qualifying, only with two rounds instead of three.
Here’s how to catch the action on TV and online.
When is the next BTCC race?
- Sunday 24 October, Brands Hatch
- Coverage starts at 10.45am on ITV4 and ITV.com/BTCC
- Qualifying live online: 2.50pm Saturday 23 October
TV coverage
This weekend, coverage will be on ITV4 (and ITV4 HD) as usual.
The entire event will be broadcast from 10.45am until 6.35pm – including support races, so you can watch all day long from the comfort of your armchair.
If you want to watch in HD, you’ll need to have Sky or Virgin, as ITV 4 HD isnn’t available on Freeview or Freesat, only the standard-definition versions.
Here’s the provisional timetable (TV coverage only):
- 11:30 British Touring Car Championship (Round 28)
- 12:10 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
- 13:05 Ginetta Junior championship
- 13:40 F4 British championship
- 14:30 British Touring Car Championship (Round 29)
- 15:10 Ginetta GT4 SuperCup Championship
- 15:45 Mini Challenge
- 16:20 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
- 17:15 British Touring Car Championship (Round 27)
Stream BTCC races online
You can also watch races live online at ITV.com/BTCC . If you miss the races live, it’s possible to watch replays on ITV’s website and highlights are shown on ITV4, which are then available on ITV Hub, usually the following Saturday.
BTCC is now also on MotorTrend as part of the new Wide World of Speed motorsports block , and you can watch starting at 4pm ET.
How to watch BTCC qualifying in 2021
- Saturday 23 October from 2.50pm
The Saturday qualifying session isn’t broadcast on TV, so you’ll have to watch online. Head to ITV’s website and you can watch along with the timing information in a web browser on your PC, phone or tablet.
You can also see live timing on the official BTCC website and in the BTCC app, which is available for iPhone and Android.
BTCC calendar 2021
The championship will visit 8 different circuits, with two visits to Thruxton and the traditional two different circuit layouts at Brands Hatch – the season will end with Brands Hatch GP as usual.
| Circuit | Date |
|---|---|
| Thruxton | 8-9 May |
| Snetterton | 12-13 June |
| Brands Hatch Indy | 26-27 June |
| Oulton Park | 31 July – 1 August |
| Knockhill | 14-15 August |
| Thruxton | 28-29 August |
| Croft | 18-19 September |
| Silverstone National | 25-26 September |
| Donington Park National | 9-10 October |
| Brands Hatch GP | 23-24 October |
BTCC 2021 teams and drivers
There’s a full-capacity grid, with Jack Mitchell taking Glynn Geddie’s seat with Team Hard. Note that Matt Neal isn’t driving in 2021 and Dan Cammish has also left Team Dymanics – he made an appearance for the first round only, standing in for Michael Crees whose seat has now been taken by Senna Proctor.
Here’s the full rundown.
| Team | Car | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Halfords Team Dynamics Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R | Gordon Shedden, Daniel Rowbottom |
| Team BMW | BMW 3 Series | Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant, Stephen Jelley |
| Toyota Gazoo Racing UK | Toyota Corolla | Rory Butcher, Sam Smelt |
| Laser Tools Racing | Infiniti Q50 | Ash Sutton, Aiden Moffat, Carl Boardley |
| Team HARD | Cupra Leon | Jack Goff, Aron Taylor-Smith, Jack Mitchell, Nicolas Hamilton |
| Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | Jason Plato, Daniel Lloyd |
| MB Motorsport | Ford Focus | Jake Hill, Ollie Jackson |
| Motorbase Performance | Ford Focus | Andy Neate, Sam Osbourne |
| Excelr8 Trade Price Cars | Hyundai i30 Fastback N | Jack Butel, Chris Smiley, Tom Ingram |
| Ciceley Motorsport | BMW 3 Series | Adam Morgan, Tom Chilton |
| BTC Racing | Honda Civic Type R | Jade Edwards, Josh Cook, Senna Proctor |
BTCC podcasts
How to watch BTCC outside the UK with a VPN
If you’re not in the UK, you won’t be able to watch BTCC without a VPN. That’s because, since Brexit, not even the paid-for ITV Hub+ service is available outside the UK.
A VPN can make it appear that you’re located in the same country as the broadcaster when you connect to a server in the UK.
We recommend using NordVPN , Surfshark or CyberGhost . Last time we checked, all three successfully unblocked ITV, but also have 24/7 live chat support if you do encounter any issues.
Read our guide to the best VPN services for more information.
- How to watch F1 races
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Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor, Tech Advisor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
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