The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns to Brands Hatch this weekend for rounds four, five and six of the 2026 season, with Ash Sutton in command of the standings and the new Race to Pole qualifying format about to apply to the full grid for the first time.
Sutton, the four-time champion now in NAPA Racing UK colours, leaves Donington Park with an 18-point cushion after turning a Race 1 last-row grid slot into a triple-points haul that included his 48th BTCC win and his 300th career start. With three wins and the championship lead, the Ford Focus driver enters Brands Hatch as the man to beat — but the Indy circuit's narrow, lap-quick layout has historically rewarded the cars and drivers that handle qualifying pressure best.
That is precisely the test Speedworks Corolla Racing has been preparing for. The Toyota team, running Josh Cook and rookie Max Buxton in the GR Sport, exited Donington with pace it failed to convert into silverware. Cook has put the weekend down to track position rather than outright performance.
"We showed at Donington that we have speed in the car, which is really encouraging going into Brands Hatch," Cook said. "Track position is always crucial here, so qualifying will be important and then see if we can make the most of it in the races. If we can put a clean weekend together, there's no reason why we can't be right in the mix."
Buxton, who made his BTCC debut at Donington, sees Brands Hatch as the next checkpoint in a long induction.
"Donington was a really valuable first weekend for me in terms of learning and getting up to speed in the championship," he said. "The Indy circuit is a big challenge because it's so tight and competitive, but that's also what makes it exciting. The goal for me is to keep progressing, improve each session and hopefully be in a position to fight for stronger results."
"Brands Hatch Indy is a very different challenge — it's short, intense and leaves no room for mistakes," Dick said. "But that's exactly the kind of circuit where strong fundamentals and a well-balanced car can make the difference. We've worked hard between rounds to refine our package, and we head into the weekend feeling confident, focused and ready to fight at the front."
Reigning champion Tom Ingram heads to Brands Hatch chasing a recovery weekend. The Hyundai i30 driver was disqualified from Race 1 at Donington for an overboost infringement, with that win passed to LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing's Mikey Doble — and a second Power Maxed entry, Dexter Patterson, also took meaningful early points. Ingram has won four times at Brands Hatch in front-wheel-drive machinery, however, making him a perennial favourite around the Indy layout.
Daniel Rowbottom, who claimed the inaugural Race to Pole victory for Cataclean Plato Racing at Donington, will be a name to watch in qualifying. The new format gives the highest-finishing cars from the Race to Pole the front of the grid for Race 1 and the right to deploy TOCA Turbo Boost across the weekend's three races — a layer of strategy that Cook and Dick both flagged as material for the championship outcome.
Qualifying streams on the ITV Sport YouTube channel from 13:55 BST on Saturday, with the three races airing on ITV4 from 10:45 BST on Sunday.
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