I started watching BTCC in the mid 90s as well. I gave up watching in the mid 2000s but picked it up again about 8 years ago. But I agree it’s lost it’s spark again. The races are like mini F1 races - the finishing order is largely the starting order, especially at the front. Race 1 and 2 have largely the same results and it’s only race 3 when you have a lottery draw that it’s mixed up a bit. I went to Croft last weekend and there was barely any overtaking anywhere and definitely not at the front. It’s just a procession. And it’s sad when, as you day, they used to attract drivers from all over Europe. It’s just become like F1 with the same drivers winning over and over again.
I watched it on Catchup and i thought that was very poor, compared to what it used to be in the past. Things are just to even now, with the same boost, and hybrid. Hybrid i think has killed it sadly.
To be fair to the BTCC the state of touring cars worldwide sucks at the moment. The hybrid has clearly been failure, they need to bite the bullet and go back to weight.
How has the hybrid been a failure??? Ballast was the failure slowing fast cars so others can catch up! This motorsport not a place we’re everyone’s a winner drive faster and develop your car pretty simple
I watched BTCC for years on TV. I've even watched it live a couple of times. This year I think I've watched a couple of events this year and I really just can't be bothered .
It’s my favourite championship but I will agree this season hasn’t been the best not enough cars should be 32 hybrid system doesn’t slow down the faster cars enough, and most importantly not enough overtaken
-Up the cars to 3.0 litres, ditch the hybrid. -An international race on the streets of Monaco. -Reverse grid for race three should have all the cars in the pot. Sweet sweet chaos on the last race at each round.
How you going to pay to transport the whole set up to Monte Carlo? With the exception of NAPA Excrelate and WSR the rest struggle to make it round the UK let alone Monaco!.
What i really want them to try next year is the qualifying rules in the races. So try having the leader have no hybrid at all and then increasing the amount of boost time you get as you go down I think the fundamental problem in it's current form is it only penalises you some of the time wheras the ballast penalised you everywhere.
I think the next gen was the start of the decline, and through out the last few years less and less teams have been keen on entering, and i think this hybrid has put more off too. We lost two teams there, and dynamics lost a large sponsor. So i can see the hybrid and the cost of building a new car been well silly now. large sponsors like NAPA is what we need. This year the ford looked like what the Chevy was in the WTCC compared to everyone else. Team BMW and Toyota etc don't have those wages at all. You could see that, NAPA threw a load of money at the Ford with ASH and the lads over the winter, you could see that. BMW and Toyota need those wages to do the same, with Colin and with Butcher.
I've still enjoyed this season but you're absolutely right about the quality of drivers, other than the top few, most of them are only there because they can't get a seat in GTs or single seaters
yeah i think the quality of drivers now are starting to get very thin on the ground now, making the titles practically easy picking compared to 10 years ago. When it could have gone nearly 4 ways at the final round.
I don't see why a permenant reverse grid format can't be considered as an option. National hotrods and other non contact formula manage to use the format going very quick round ovals without taking each other out. Ditch the qualifying. Its boring anyway. Have a reverse grid system and race on the Saturday and the Sunday. It won't stop the support classes running their quali sessions if that's what they want to do. And I reckon it'd get the sport more screen coverage. Or ... Carry on with the sequential parade lapping.
Spot on. I've been watching since I was 10 in 2013, and this is the weakest year of action. The ballast system was perfect, it separated driver talent from strategic talent. You can plan your hybrid use as a strategy, and that doesn't require driver skill. The talent pool is poor as you said, the only drivers that are top class are the champions, Hill, Cammish, Cook, Butcher...Morgan, Rowbottom, Lloyd and Thompson are decent but no more than. Where's the Platos, Sheddens, Jordans, Neals, Jacksons. Where's the car and team variety? I mean even the support package is weaker than ever. We lost the clios and the ginetta juniors, at least we have minis, but F4 and the porsche races are so dull.
i have followed it for 13 years, before the next gen rules and the pre turbo days. This year it seemed a shadow of its self compared to those days, the hybrid thing has killed it, and the next gen rules i think are starting to get a little dated too, compared to the TCR. Also the BTCC in the last couple of years has lost teams and no new ones have come in, since excel joined. So somethings not attracting new teams in the series, also it losing ginetta too, has not helped at all. Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram are the only two really, that have worked their way up in the last few years. But to me, this years championship looked easy pickings compared to how it used to be, and i think its going to be the same thing next year. I can see Ash bagging it next year again too, There just isnt enough decent talent left to challenge, not sure how much mileage is left in Colin for a 5th, Hill and Butcher push to hard and end up in trouble. Only Josh Cook and Tom Ingram and if them two have a few bad rounds, like what happened to Josh in the past, The title is practically won before brands hatch, like it nearly was, this year. As soon as i saw Ash have the pole at brands hatch and where Tom was in the points, i knew it was game over. Watched the 1st race and watched Ash take the title, after that, I just turned it off, i recon a fare few spectators may have left after Race 2.
The reason I think this era of BTCC is boring in comparison to the 90’s is the ‘watering down’ of competition. These engines are not stressed like the N/A engines were and this shows, if the engines regs were relaxed and the HP limit increased we’d start to see some innovation and exciting racing. Seeing and hearing a load of different manufacturers screaming towards my tv screen in the 90’s was epic. I’m not saying that there’s no innovation but if there is it’s not showing and I know there’s a big push to be eco friendly (I never understood why we need to be eco friendly in a race) but here’s my 2 cents worth. 1) increase the HP limit so we know the teams are squeezing every inch from their engines 2) have a half distance race to run along side the actual race with a lottery draw for your starting position and with qualifying decided by the results of the half distance race 3) bring back homologation rules to get more of the general public interested in what they are seeing race
Knockhill today wasn't too bad on the whole. Fingers crossed for the next meeting at Donington Park. They're racing on the GP circuit this time which they haven't done since 2002.
Been to the Brands Hatch Indy and Thruxton races this year and I have to agree the racing has been very dull, mostly processional and having a car like the Napa Ford Focus that has been so dominant in so many races with nearly a clean sweep of race 1 poles and a having a 1-2-3 in races 1 and 2 at Croft seems to take away what the BTCC has been about the last few years which is the unpredictability of the races and the large number of different race winners across a season especially as Ash Sutton has already won 7 races this season
Artificial overtaking aids solve the problem at the wrong end because they erode the relationship between driver skill and reward. A better strategy is to make BTCC more of a spec class with cars that are very difficult to drive. At the moment very few drivers make significant mistakes. It is also the case that the cars have become wider while the tracks have remained the same. Put simply, they need to look at the Legends that have supported a few races this season. I saw them at Brands a few months ago and they were incredible.
I first started watching back in 1988! Was a long time dream of mine to become a driver..kinda still is all this time later... but like some other comments agree its most likely to be the hybrid system in change of ballast weights... if its not broken..don't fix it
I also think a return of a night race could add some excitement! But I think this video hits half the nail on the head, the drivers just aren’t memorable & the hybrid system is over complicated. But I also think the cars play a huge part. They’re messy looking cars these days with the exception of the 3 series (which I think plays hugely on nostalgia!) The liveries are messy & over sponsored & they look all wings & aero even if they’re not, especially when compaired to the clear lines & liveries of lagunas, s40s & mondeos
Thinking about it, I agree with you. I enjoyed it more when Civic Type Rs and 1 Series looked like what they were meant to be. Even in the Super Tourer era, a Primera looked like a Primera and a Volvo estate looked like a Volvo estate, even if they were barely the real thing under the skin - they were identifiable.
I think the biggest problem stems from something that should honestly be taken as a compliment. The BTCC is a proper drivers’ championship. Of course, there are teams like BMW and particularly Motorbase this season that just get it so right but the drivers play slightly more of a part here than in other series. That’s why Sutton, Ingram, Turkington, Hill, Cook and Cammish have been the leading six for so long. It’s made the touring cars a bit of a status quo championship. The ballast system always had an immediate impact and even the best would get held back by it. The hybrid system hasn’t had that supposed element of strategy they keep teasing us with, it’s just a perk that barely impacts the racing. The teams and drivers coming and going due to budgets is a complicated matter and considering the super touring era ended when teams left is definitely a bad sign. The newer, B or C tier drivers aren’t really making headlines but that’s because their battles are always with each other. Progression for them is harder because the top guys aren’t being challenged or brought back to their level so they can learn and improve. Hopefully positive changes will be made in 2024 like bringing back the ballast or making the strategy element more tyre-based than hybrid-based.
I totally agree with you this season has been bad for championship i think toca and alan gow should go back to how it use to be back in 90 of super touring NGTC is 12 years old something needs changing in the championship even a night race and pit stops would be good
Hahahahah you think 10 million pound a year budgets and huge development costs are the way forward? Why would pit stops help all that would do spread the field out.
@@bert1981 the filed is already spread out even without pit stops but having them would make the racing better ans put more pressure on the teams to win the race and they also would play a part in the racing
@@Bathgate-i3e how would cars not being on the track battling make the racing better. The btcc is sprint racing if you want pits stops the gt racing is the place you need to be.
@@bert1981 having pit stops in the btcc would be a good thing like the old days having the team play a part of how the race could be won and puts more pressure on teams and that for racing would be good thing
I only watched older BTCC races recently and I don't agree with many points. In late aero wars era BTCC was becoming incredibly stale. The only passes were done by contact which often led to dnfs. 2019 season was pure banger and first hybrid regulations worked quite well, however it's too weak and doesn't challenge drivers nearly as much as ballast did. About tracks, I'd love to see international races but not at Monza. It'd propably be most boring race of the season. Nurburgring GP, Spa or Zandvoort would fit much better (and they also have much more impactful touring car racing history) IMO one of the issues is recent lack of BoP interventions. When BMW was dominating in 2019, they were getting different handicaps nearly every weekend which paid off with much slower race pace in second half of the season. Right now Motorbase has been the fastest car on the grid with no change in sight.
I feel the same as you it’s been a boring year have been watching every year since the 1980’s . I think driving standards are better now or at least controlled better but the new hybrid tech is not making racing better also it allows drivers to defend as much as attack hence we see less over taking this year .
God forbid if the Championship ever goes all-electric with no engine noise at all. I have watched BTCC for the last 25 years and the last time I went to a BTCC meeting was Donington in 2000 (Reid's win for Ford) I have to say this guy has hit the nail on the head - the hybrid system doesn't work - people try and change for the better but sometimes they make it worse - and so this has proved. Alan Gow has been boss of toca for a number of years and really it was his idea to bring hybrid systems into it - whatever goes on on the road should not be brought into a motorsport series of this level. The driver field has been the same since the mid 2010s. Even the some of the support classes are rubbish thats not had any change but glad they got rid of the Ginetta classes as that was even more boring......there should be 2 reverse grid races instead of 1. Or a rule which says the top 3 in the first race have to start from the back in the 2nd race etc. BTCC is meant to be the pinnacle of British motorsport but - nowadays.......Is it still the pinnacle of British motorsport!!!!! I don't think so - the ballast system was what made it more entertaining - I can never get the hang of the hybrid system rules - its just the same drivers winning races. Ash Sutton and Colin Turkington should move on to something else now as they're making the BTCC look easy. The only entertainment - is David Addison's commentary!!!!!!!!!!!! Tbh the qualifying is more entertaining!!!! Hill-climbing is more exciting to watch!!! 700bhp ex F1 engineered cars
Honda was the same in 2011, they ran away with the title, in fact i think they had a right old good run until Colin managed to do something with the BMW, I know motor base was always there, in those days but just needed that push. But i think its been the hybrid that's made it very boring this year and lack of investment in large sponsors. I wouldn't be surprised if Motorbase has lot more wages pushed into that compared to BMW etc. Plus we are not getting the drivers in now, compared to what we had 10 years ago. when it could have gone 4 ways at the final.
As much as I love the BTCC, I have to admit 2023 hasn’t been a good season. I agree the hybrid system hasn’t worked this season, the top drivers are not being penalized enough and the races have been rather predictable. In my personal opinion the success ballast worked so much better in terms of levelling the playing field and stopped anyone from running away with the championship, which is what’s happening this year. Ash Sutton is a great driver there’s no denying that, but watching him win 90% of the races is becoming too predictable like Max in F1. A fact if Sutton hadn’t had those unforced retirements at Olton and Croft, he’d have rapped up to title by now! That just goes to show what a breeze it’s been for him this year. Plus I also don’t like the look of these modern day race cars. I just don’t find the Focus and Cupra attractive as touring cars, IMPO they don’t really stand out and look more like simple road cars with very little style. Personally I find saloons are more attractive touring cars like the one's we used to have like Vauxhall Astras, MGs, Hondas and Audis exc. Anyway rounding up this post, I personally think they should bring back the success ballast, just use the hybrid as a push to pass system.
3 races back to 2. Either 2 longer or sprint and feature. Both races have an independent qualifying session No ballast No boost No hybrid 12 meetings instead of 10 Full meritocracy But the cars need to be closer to road versions again No reverse grid!!! Needs some driver rivalry It's over sponsored
This era is still good. Hydride is still new. It was always gonna have issues. They should make it more like Kers in F1 or maybe have weight ballast aswell as hybrid.
That hybrid thing has killed the action has it not, the ballast made racing much, much better. i watched the Croft around as its my local circuit, and by what a boring race, No action hardly, very little racing due to the cars been that equal. Knock hill i found it much better, but the last couple of rounds, practically nothing more. As soon as Ash got pole at the final around, i knew it would be buttoned up, No hit to Ash at all, lads been great driver since he came into the series and i will put money on him, making history on blowing Andy Rouse's 4 titles by winning a 5th. Judging by how strong that team is.
@@markholroyde9412 says the snowflake moron moaning the racing hasn’t been good for 20 years. What was so good about a series with a hand full of teams in the top class 🙄
@@matthewpayne42 oh I did and I’ve been thousands of days racing so I’ll say it again, it’s not boring just because they aren’t hitting each puts the fake fans off.
@@bert1981 You are outnumbered in the comments...give up now.🤣..its crap...and the producers know it, they would give anything to have the 90s fan base back
Fundamental issue is the ballast it worked why get rid of it? If it ain't broke dont fix it. I would also say the grid for race 2 should be 2nd fastest time in qualifying with the reverse grid for race 3.
I religiously watch BTCC from 80’s onward.the different class system was not only confusing but was like 2 races in one especially as it was mainly Rouse vs Gravit .Early 00” was shocking. But for the last 5yrs it’s just lost it’s spark. Like F1 and it’s equivalent button press to pass, like the mushroom in Mario Kart you can go from 5th to win. Let’s not forget Kieth o,dor bless the fence jumper. BTCC in the dark didn’t work at silverstone.Caldwell too narrow, what about just normal car with minimum mods? What it used to be.
Its been boring since 2003 ish, that's when fkn hair gel and a social media channel became more important for the snowflakes who run it now than the racing....and the generic jelly mould cars dont help.
@@bert1981 LMAO, , just read the other comments Mr "in denial", that'll give you a clue.🤣, its paddle shifted shit that a 12 year old could drive..🤣 These jelly mould things are mobile safety cells with maxed out drama and lots of boring yakking thrown in...the "race" comes second to all that in the snowflake era.
More wet races certainly helps like Race 1 today at Knockhill. I do rather think they need to rethink the ride-height tests when it does rain though.
I started watching BTCC in the mid 90s as well. I gave up watching in the mid 2000s but picked it up again about 8 years ago. But I agree it’s lost it’s spark again. The races are like mini F1 races - the finishing order is largely the starting order, especially at the front. Race 1 and 2 have largely the same results and it’s only race 3 when you have a lottery draw that it’s mixed up a bit. I went to Croft last weekend and there was barely any overtaking anywhere and definitely not at the front. It’s just a procession. And it’s sad when, as you day, they used to attract drivers from all over Europe. It’s just become like F1 with the same drivers winning over and over again.
I watched it on Catchup and i thought that was very poor, compared to what it used to be in the past. Things are just to even now, with the same boost, and hybrid. Hybrid i think has killed it sadly.
To be fair to the BTCC the state of touring cars worldwide sucks at the moment. The hybrid has clearly been failure, they need to bite the bullet and go back to weight.
How has the hybrid been a failure??? Ballast was the failure slowing fast cars so others can catch up! This motorsport not a place we’re everyone’s a winner drive faster and develop your car pretty simple
I watched BTCC for years on TV. I've even watched it live a couple of times. This year I think I've watched a couple of events this year and I really just can't be bothered .
It’s my favourite championship but I will agree this season hasn’t been the best not enough cars should be 32 hybrid system doesn’t slow down the faster cars enough, and most importantly not enough overtaken
-Up the cars to 3.0 litres, ditch the hybrid.
-An international race on the streets of Monaco.
-Reverse grid for race three should have all the cars in the pot. Sweet sweet chaos on the last race at each round.
More hybrid no international races, it’s the BRITISH touring car championship and chao for race three? Obviously you just enjoy crashes. Moron
How you going to pay to transport the whole set up to Monte Carlo? With the exception of NAPA Excrelate and WSR the rest struggle to make it round the UK let alone Monaco!.
As a Tom Ingram I can say that even with ash Suttons dominance in 2023 it was not a boring season
What i really want them to try next year is the qualifying rules in the races. So try having the leader have no hybrid at all and then increasing the amount of boost time you get as you go down
I think the fundamental problem in it's current form is it only penalises you some of the time wheras the ballast penalised you everywhere.
100% agree been on the decline for a while now.. its lost that spark and i dont think it will get it back
I think the next gen was the start of the decline, and through out the last few years less and less teams have been keen on entering, and i think this hybrid has put more off too. We lost two teams there, and dynamics lost a large sponsor. So i can see the hybrid and the cost of building a new car been well silly now. large sponsors like NAPA is what we need. This year the ford looked like what the Chevy was in the WTCC compared to everyone else. Team BMW and Toyota etc don't have those wages at all. You could see that, NAPA threw a load of money at the Ford with ASH and the lads over the winter, you could see that. BMW and Toyota need those wages to do the same, with Colin and with Butcher.
I've still enjoyed this season but you're absolutely right about the quality of drivers, other than the top few, most of them are only there because they can't get a seat in GTs or single seaters
yeah i think the quality of drivers now are starting to get very thin on the ground now, making the titles practically easy picking compared to 10 years ago. When it could have gone nearly 4 ways at the final round.
I don't see why a permenant reverse grid format can't be considered as an option. National hotrods and other non contact formula manage to use the format going very quick round ovals without taking each other out.
Ditch the qualifying. Its boring anyway. Have a reverse grid system and race on the Saturday and the Sunday.
It won't stop the support classes running their quali sessions if that's what they want to do.
And I reckon it'd get the sport more screen coverage.
Or ... Carry on with the sequential parade lapping.
Spot on. I've been watching since I was 10 in 2013, and this is the weakest year of action.
The ballast system was perfect, it separated driver talent from strategic talent. You can plan your hybrid use as a strategy, and that doesn't require driver skill.
The talent pool is poor as you said, the only drivers that are top class are the champions, Hill, Cammish, Cook, Butcher...Morgan, Rowbottom, Lloyd and Thompson are decent but no more than.
Where's the Platos, Sheddens, Jordans, Neals, Jacksons. Where's the car and team variety?
I mean even the support package is weaker than ever. We lost the clios and the ginetta juniors, at least we have minis, but F4 and the porsche races are so dull.
i have followed it for 13 years, before the next gen rules and the pre turbo days. This year it seemed a shadow of its self compared to those days, the hybrid thing has killed it, and the next gen rules i think are starting to get a little dated too, compared to the TCR. Also the BTCC in the last couple of years has lost teams and no new ones have come in, since excel joined. So somethings not attracting new teams in the series, also it losing ginetta too, has not helped at all. Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram are the only two really, that have worked their way up in the last few years. But to me, this years championship looked easy pickings compared to how it used to be, and i think its going to be the same thing next year. I can see Ash bagging it next year again too, There just isnt enough decent talent left to challenge, not sure how much mileage is left in Colin for a 5th, Hill and Butcher push to hard and end up in trouble. Only Josh Cook and Tom Ingram and if them two have a few bad rounds, like what happened to Josh in the past, The title is practically won before brands hatch, like it nearly was, this year. As soon as i saw Ash have the pole at brands hatch and where Tom was in the points, i knew it was game over. Watched the 1st race and watched Ash take the title, after that, I just turned it off, i recon a fare few spectators may have left after Race 2.
The reason I think this era of BTCC is boring in comparison to the 90’s is the ‘watering down’ of competition. These engines are not stressed like the N/A engines were and this shows, if the engines regs were relaxed and the HP limit increased we’d start to see some innovation and exciting racing. Seeing and hearing a load of different manufacturers screaming towards my tv screen in the 90’s was epic. I’m not saying that there’s no innovation but if there is it’s not showing and I know there’s a big push to be eco friendly (I never understood why we need to be eco friendly in a race) but here’s my 2 cents worth.
1) increase the HP limit so we know the teams are squeezing every inch from their engines
2) have a half distance race to run along side the actual race with a lottery draw for your starting position and with qualifying decided by the results of the half distance race
3) bring back homologation rules to get more of the general public interested in what they are seeing race
Knockhill today wasn't too bad on the whole. Fingers crossed for the next meeting at Donington Park. They're racing on the GP circuit this time which they haven't done since 2002.
Do you think that the popularity of the V8's in Australia and DTM have overshadowed the BTCC?
Over shadowed? They always been bigger
4:02 How dare you, not include Will Hoy in that list -_-
Thruxton when Rowbottom won was a goated race.
Been to the Brands Hatch Indy and Thruxton races this year and I have to agree the racing has been very dull, mostly processional and having a car like the Napa Ford Focus that has been so dominant in so many races with nearly a clean sweep of race 1 poles and a having a 1-2-3 in races 1 and 2 at Croft seems to take away what the BTCC has been about the last few years which is the unpredictability of the races and the large number of different race winners across a season especially as Ash Sutton has already won 7 races this season
Artificial overtaking aids solve the problem at the wrong end because they erode the relationship between driver skill and reward. A better strategy is to make BTCC more of a spec class with cars that are very difficult to drive. At the moment very few drivers make significant mistakes. It is also the case that the cars have become wider while the tracks have remained the same. Put simply, they need to look at the Legends that have supported a few races this season. I saw them at Brands a few months ago and they were incredible.
When racing cars are too far removed from what you can buy, as allways it's game over.
I first started watching back in 1988! Was a long time dream of mine to become a driver..kinda still is all this time later... but like some other comments agree its most likely to be the hybrid system in change of ballast weights... if its not broken..don't fix it
I also think a return of a night race could add some excitement! But I think this video hits half the nail on the head, the drivers just aren’t memorable & the hybrid system is over complicated.
But I also think the cars play a huge part. They’re messy looking cars these days with the exception of the 3 series (which I think plays hugely on nostalgia!)
The liveries are messy & over sponsored & they look all wings & aero even if they’re not, especially when compaired to the clear lines & liveries of lagunas, s40s & mondeos
Thinking about it, I agree with you. I enjoyed it more when Civic Type Rs and 1 Series looked like what they were meant to be. Even in the Super Tourer era, a Primera looked like a Primera and a Volvo estate looked like a Volvo estate, even if they were barely the real thing under the skin - they were identifiable.
I think the biggest problem stems from something that should honestly be taken as a compliment. The BTCC is a proper drivers’ championship. Of course, there are teams like BMW and particularly Motorbase this season that just get it so right but the drivers play slightly more of a part here than in other series. That’s why Sutton, Ingram, Turkington, Hill, Cook and Cammish have been the leading six for so long. It’s made the touring cars a bit of a status quo championship. The ballast system always had an immediate impact and even the best would get held back by it. The hybrid system hasn’t had that supposed element of strategy they keep teasing us with, it’s just a perk that barely impacts the racing. The teams and drivers coming and going due to budgets is a complicated matter and considering the super touring era ended when teams left is definitely a bad sign. The newer, B or C tier drivers aren’t really making headlines but that’s because their battles are always with each other. Progression for them is harder because the top guys aren’t being challenged or brought back to their level so they can learn and improve. Hopefully positive changes will be made in 2024 like bringing back the ballast or making the strategy element more tyre-based than hybrid-based.
I totally agree with you this season has been bad for championship i think toca and alan gow should go back to how it use to be back in 90 of super touring NGTC is 12 years old something needs changing in the championship even a night race and pit stops would be good
Hahahahah you think 10 million pound a year budgets and huge development costs are the way forward? Why would pit stops help all that would do spread the field out.
@@bert1981 the filed is already spread out even without pit stops but having them would make the racing better ans put more pressure on the teams to win the race and they also would play a part in the racing
@@Bathgate-i3e how would cars not being on the track battling make the racing better. The btcc is sprint racing if you want pits stops the gt racing is the place you need to be.
@@bert1981 having pit stops in the btcc would be a good thing like the old days having the team play a part of how the race could be won and puts more pressure on teams and that for racing would be good thing
@@Bathgate-i3e the pits stops never worked and detracted from the racing. Pit stops are for endurance races. Which the btcc is not.
I only watched older BTCC races recently and I don't agree with many points.
In late aero wars era BTCC was becoming incredibly stale. The only passes were done by contact which often led to dnfs. 2019 season was pure banger and first hybrid regulations worked quite well, however it's too weak and doesn't challenge drivers nearly as much as ballast did.
About tracks, I'd love to see international races but not at Monza. It'd propably be most boring race of the season. Nurburgring GP, Spa or Zandvoort would fit much better (and they also have much more impactful touring car racing history)
IMO one of the issues is recent lack of BoP interventions. When BMW was dominating in 2019, they were getting different handicaps nearly every weekend which paid off with much slower race pace in second half of the season. Right now Motorbase has been the fastest car on the grid with no change in sight.
I feel the same as you it’s been a boring year have been watching every year since the 1980’s . I think driving standards are better now or at least controlled better but the new hybrid tech is not making racing better also it allows drivers to defend as much as attack hence we see less over taking this year .
So it’s like real racing then
I think they aren’t boring it’s maybe because Ford have setup a great car but some of the series of tracks aren’t so great
God forbid if the Championship ever goes all-electric with no engine noise at all. I have watched BTCC for the last 25 years and the last time I went to a BTCC meeting was Donington in 2000 (Reid's win for Ford) I have to say this guy has hit the nail on the head - the hybrid system doesn't work - people try and change for the better but sometimes they make it worse - and so this has proved. Alan Gow has been boss of toca for a number of years and really it was his idea to bring hybrid systems into it - whatever goes on on the road should not be brought into a motorsport series of this level. The driver field has been the same since the mid 2010s. Even the some of the support classes are rubbish thats not had any change but glad they got rid of the Ginetta classes as that was even more boring......there should be 2 reverse grid races instead of 1. Or a rule which says the top 3 in the first race have to start from the back in the 2nd race etc. BTCC is meant to be the pinnacle of British motorsport but - nowadays.......Is it still the pinnacle of British motorsport!!!!! I don't think so - the ballast system was what made it more entertaining - I can never get the hang of the hybrid system rules - its just the same drivers winning races. Ash Sutton and Colin Turkington should move on to something else now as they're making the BTCC look easy. The only entertainment - is David Addison's commentary!!!!!!!!!!!! Tbh the qualifying is more entertaining!!!! Hill-climbing is more exciting to watch!!! 700bhp ex F1 engineered cars
The Motorbase dominance has threatened to make it boring but then I felt the same about the BMWs in 2019.
Honda was the same in 2011, they ran away with the title, in fact i think they had a right old good run until Colin managed to do something with the BMW, I know motor base was always there, in those days but just needed that push. But i think its been the hybrid that's made it very boring this year and lack of investment in large sponsors. I wouldn't be surprised if Motorbase has lot more wages pushed into that compared to BMW etc. Plus we are not getting the drivers in now, compared to what we had 10 years ago. when it could have gone 4 ways at the final.
MG xpower era was the best after the supertouring era
As much as I love the BTCC, I have to admit 2023 hasn’t been a good season. I agree the hybrid system hasn’t worked this season, the top drivers are not being penalized enough and the races have been rather predictable. In my personal opinion the success ballast worked so much better in terms of levelling the playing field and stopped anyone from running away with the championship, which is what’s happening this year. Ash Sutton is a great driver there’s no denying that, but watching him win 90% of the races is becoming too predictable like Max in F1. A fact if Sutton hadn’t had those unforced retirements at Olton and Croft, he’d have rapped up to title by now! That just goes to show what a breeze it’s been for him this year. Plus I also don’t like the look of these modern day race cars. I just don’t find the Focus and Cupra attractive as touring cars, IMPO they don’t really stand out and look more like simple road cars with very little style. Personally I find saloons are more attractive touring cars like the one's we used to have like Vauxhall Astras, MGs, Hondas and Audis exc. Anyway rounding up this post, I personally think they should bring back the success ballast, just use the hybrid as a push to pass system.
3 races back to 2. Either 2 longer or sprint and feature.
Both races have an independent qualifying session
No ballast
No boost
No hybrid
12 meetings instead of 10
Full meritocracy
But the cars need to be closer to road versions again
No reverse grid!!!
Needs some driver rivalry
It's over sponsored
This era is still good. Hydride is still new. It was always gonna have issues. They should make it more like Kers in F1 or maybe have weight ballast aswell as hybrid.
That hybrid thing has killed the action has it not, the ballast made racing much, much better. i watched the Croft around as its my local circuit, and by what a boring race, No action hardly, very little racing due to the cars been that equal. Knock hill i found it much better, but the last couple of rounds, practically nothing more. As soon as Ash got pole at the final around, i knew it would be buttoned up, No hit to Ash at all, lads been great driver since he came into the series and i will put money on him, making history on blowing Andy Rouse's 4 titles by winning a 5th. Judging by how strong that team is.
The format is stale. Three races, reverse grids. Needs to change. Strip it back a bit. Look at 1990 and what was done which enabled the peak era.
Gotta admin, these mordern BTCC cars looks soooo boring compared to the cars of the '90s. Cars and liveries
I can't see Sir Lewis in the BTCC.It's beneath him.I like your suggestion of an Enduro.
Enduros are for gt racing
Neither can I....no one would want that Muppet in there🤣or the dopes political views . He's in meltdown at the moment in a "safe space"🤣
@@markholroyde9412 says the snowflake moron moaning the racing hasn’t been good for 20 years. What was so good about a series with a hand full of teams in the top class 🙄
It’s bad but not 2001 bad
True but 01 had the alfa 147
It hasn’t been boring, if you think it has you aren’t a motorsport fan
It has been a boring season this year
@@Bathgate-i3e then you are not a racing fan. What’s boring about clean racing where the fastest cars and drivers win?
You obviously haven't been to watch the BTCC during the 90s.
@@matthewpayne42 oh I did and I’ve been thousands of days racing so I’ll say it again, it’s not boring just because they aren’t hitting each puts the fake fans off.
@@bert1981 You are outnumbered in the comments...give up now.🤣..its crap...and the producers know it, they would give anything to have the 90s fan base back
Not enough top drivers
Fundamental issue is the ballast it worked why get rid of it? If it ain't broke dont fix it. I would also say the grid for race 2 should be 2nd fastest time in qualifying with the reverse grid for race 3.
I religiously watch BTCC from 80’s onward.the different class system was not only confusing but was like 2 races in one especially as it was mainly Rouse vs Gravit .Early 00” was shocking. But for the last 5yrs it’s just lost it’s spark. Like F1 and it’s equivalent button press to pass, like the mushroom in Mario Kart you can go from 5th to win.
Let’s not forget Kieth o,dor bless the fence jumper.
BTCC in the dark didn’t work at silverstone.Caldwell too narrow, what about just normal car with minimum mods? What it used to be.
Bring the weight back
current BTCC sucks
It's been boring since the end of the 2010s.
Its been boring since 2003 ish, that's when fkn hair gel and a social media channel became more important for the snowflakes who run it now than the racing....and the generic jelly mould cars dont help.
This comment really shows you know absolutely nothing about motorsport
@@bert1981 LMAO, , just read the other comments Mr "in denial", that'll give you a clue.🤣, its paddle shifted shit that a 12 year old could drive..🤣 These jelly mould things are mobile safety cells with maxed out drama and lots of boring yakking thrown in...the "race" comes second to all that in the snowflake era.