BTCC 2025, Round 1, Donington Park Race 1

TTFan 2019

Coverage of race 1 of the 1st round of the 2025 BTCC (British Touring Car Championship).  Race 1 (Round 1) Starts - 09:50

Transcript

00:00:00It's almost time to restart one of the greatest racing championships in the world.

00:00:12A fresh line-up of drivers are gearing up.

00:00:15New cars are at the ready for another unscripted year of speed, skill, drama, rivalries, hot

00:00:30heartbreak, emotion, elation, a strip of proper racing.

00:00:37The British Touring Car Championship 2025, it's lights out.

00:00:45Yes, we're at Donington Park, the British Touring Car Championship is back with tweaks

00:00:49and changes and as great a sense of anticipation as we can remember.

00:00:54The first grid is formed, Dan Kamish is on pole and we can go straight to Louise.

00:01:00Thank you Steve, welcome to the grid everybody, what blue skies here at Donington and a full

00:01:05grid of touring cars, what more could a girl ask for?

00:01:08I'm with the man who got everything he wanted yesterday, Dan Kamish, our first pole sitter

00:01:12of the season.

00:01:13And Dan, this is always a special pole isn't it, because it's absolutely equal up and down

00:01:17the grid.

00:01:18Yeah, this one you could say, I mean they all mean, they're all special, they all mean

00:01:22something.

00:01:23But yeah, maybe this one's slightly more than some of the others, just because it's the

00:01:26only time of the whole season, you know, we won't see it again where we've all got what

00:01:31we've got.

00:01:32You know, it's full deployment of the boost, it's the fastest kind you'll ever go in some

00:01:38respects.

00:01:39Obviously, if you're having a good season, you kind of hope you haven't got much boost,

00:01:43you know, as time goes on.

00:01:44But here, everyone's got the lot.

00:01:46So yeah, you could argue this one means a little bit more.

00:01:48We're talking of the boost, it's generated differently this year, obviously.

00:01:51Now, we haven't got, it's not electrical, it's back to turbo boost, and it's going to

00:01:54be used differently in the races as well.

00:01:56Just talk us about how that's going to impact things from inside the car.

00:02:00Yeah, it's going to be quite different.

00:02:02This is a bit of a step into the unknown in some ways.

00:02:04Obviously, we can do all the testing in the world, but this is, you know, it's hard to

00:02:08do full race simulations, you know, you've got to kind of learn on the job.

00:02:12So yeah, what will come now?

00:02:15Obviously, I believe we should have a lot less insight into what our competitors are

00:02:19doing.

00:02:20You know, you could be a bit more blind.

00:02:22The last couple of seasons, we've relied very heavily on what the team can see.

00:02:26We get fed that information.

00:02:28I believe that's a thing of the past.

00:02:30So it's going to be much more kind of, you know, someone can spring a surprise.

00:02:37It's going to be different.

00:02:39And obviously, starting on pole, I get to be the guinea pig that finds out first just

00:02:43what that feels like.

00:02:44So, look, it's a lovely day.

00:02:47Sun shining.

00:02:48We're on the front row.

00:02:49Let's go have some fun.

00:02:50Make the most of it.

00:02:51So that's what's happening at the front of the grid.

00:02:53I tried to think what's happening further down the grid because Paul O'Neill is down

00:02:56there with Michael Kreese.

00:02:58Yes, Lou, I am everybody's favorite southerner.

00:03:01It's Michael Kreese.

00:03:02Michael Kreese.

00:03:03Actually, this is actually an amazing qualifying session.

00:03:06You've got some big names around you, lad.

00:03:08Yeah, mate, I was over the moon with what happened yesterday, to be fair.

00:03:12I mean, we had a first time in the car, FB1, which blew the cobwebs off.

00:03:17And, yeah, we got quicker and quicker.

00:03:20We had an ECU problem with FB1.

00:03:22So, again, no running.

00:03:23Went into FB2, found eight tenths.

00:03:26And then we went into qualifying and found ourselves 17th.

00:03:28So I've saved myself 100 grand on testing.

00:03:31Well, top man, keep that in mind, fella, and just get to the front.

00:03:35You'll be spot on.

00:03:36Well done.

00:03:37Good luck, mate.

00:03:38Back to you, Lou.

00:03:39P5 with a driver who did an absolutely stonking job yesterday, Ronan Pearson,

00:03:42back in the BTCC after leaving us halfway through last season.

00:03:47You surprised yourself in qualifying yesterday, didn't you, with this P5?

00:03:51Yeah, we absolutely did.

00:03:53We got the best out of our session.

00:03:59Put every sector together and delivered a solid result for us, really,

00:04:04that we deserve.

00:04:05Trust in the process, get to where we need to be.

00:04:10But we did the best we could.

00:04:13Really happy.

00:04:14So, different car.

00:04:16You seem to have got to grips with it pretty quickly,

00:04:19but it is going to be a different thing in race pace, isn't it?

00:04:22It really is.

00:04:23From the off, it's been clear that we've got a little bit of outright time to find.

00:04:27There's no questions asked there.

00:04:30It's coming.

00:04:31It's coming.

00:04:32We've maximised it.

00:04:34From the off, it's a really good race car.

00:04:37It's really consistent over a long run, really predictable,

00:04:41and that suits me really well.

00:04:43So, fingers crossed.

00:04:44Equal to best grid position.

00:04:46What are you thinking in terms of your race finish position?

00:04:48Can you make it to the podium from here?

00:04:50I hope so.

00:04:51Obviously, race with our head.

00:04:53We need to be sensible with what is real to us.

00:04:57We've got our own race to win here.

00:05:00Maybe not the outright win.

00:05:02We're on the soft tyre,

00:05:03and the cars around us are on different strategies as well.

00:05:06The team have given me a good car again.

00:05:08So, fingers crossed.

00:05:10Make the most of it.

00:05:11Enjoy yourself out there.

00:05:12We are off for a break now,

00:05:13but when we come back, BTCC 2025 is go.

00:05:23Great crowds, great weather, and a great grid here at Donington.

00:05:27It's the opening round of the 2025 Quick Fit British Touring Car Championship,

00:05:31and our commentators Tim Harvey and David Addison

00:05:34are ready for all the excitement that lies ahead.

00:05:40So, a whole new championship is about to get underway.

00:05:43We've got these new rule changes.

00:05:45We've got some new faces on the grid, returning faces,

00:05:48and, of course, this is a totally level playing field for the first race.

00:05:51Can't wait.

00:05:52Yeah, the only thing that has changed

00:05:53is we've got the introduction of the option tyre here at Donington.

00:05:56And, interestingly enough, the two guys on the front row,

00:05:59Sutton and Cavish, both on the soft tyre,

00:06:02which is the preferential tyre for this circuit.

00:06:06They may have to look after it at the end of the race.

00:06:08The only other runner on the soft tyre is Ronan Pearson.

00:06:12So, it is going to be a really interesting race,

00:06:14not only in terms of the race itself,

00:06:16but also with this option tyre being factored in,

00:06:18which is something we haven't had at Donington in recent seasons,

00:06:21since the track was resurfaced.

00:06:23Cars making their way around Redgate, then,

00:06:26on this final warming-up lap.

00:06:28And as the cars turn through Redgate

00:06:31onto the top of the Craner Curbs into view in a moment,

00:06:35we'll come there.

00:06:36The reigning champion, Jake Hill.

00:06:37That means we ought to go and have a quick word with Jake

00:06:39before we go racing.

00:06:40Jake, we noticed a bit of a tension around your car on the grid

00:06:43just before the one-minute board.

00:06:44What was going on?

00:06:46Yeah, we had a fire extinguisher battery go dead,

00:06:50which one of the Toca technical crew picked up on.

00:06:53Yeah, it was one of those things we just missed.

00:06:56So, anyway, battery's back in, all replaced.

00:06:58We have a fire extinguisher system working again.

00:07:03That's the good news.

00:07:04Yesterday was a bit tough,

00:07:05but I gather there was quite a lot of looking at data last night.

00:07:08So, do you come in a better place today?

00:07:10We will find out in about half an hour's time, I think.

00:07:14That's all we can do.

00:07:16Jake, good luck.

00:07:17Thank you very much.

00:07:19Right, so Jake Hill making his way for eighth on the grid,

00:07:22and after that fire extinguisher battery went dead,

00:07:24that's all sorted and he is good to go.

00:07:26Let's have a look at that grid then,

00:07:27ready for this first round of the championship.

00:07:29Dan Camish and on the soft tyre on pole position.

00:07:32Teammate Ash Sussan also on the soft with him at the front of the grid.

00:07:35Ahead of Tom Ingram and then Dan Robots are making it three.

00:07:38Napa Racing UK forwards in the top four.

00:07:42Fifth is where you find another of the soft shod cars,

00:07:44Ronan Pearson's Toyota with Tom Chilton,

00:07:46who had a crank sensor go down in qualifying.

00:07:48He starts sixth.

00:07:49Seventh, Josh Cook, one to watch.

00:07:51Eighth, Jake Hill, another one to watch.

00:07:53Starting ninth, Aaron Taylor-Smith with an engine change

00:07:56after qualifying, and Mikey Doble comes next.

00:07:59Then it's Dan Lloyd back in the championship

00:08:01and joining Restart Racing.

00:08:03Newcomer Charles Rainford starts twelfth,

00:08:05really encouraged by his efforts yesterday.

00:08:07Then it's another returnee.

00:08:08It's Gordon Shetland, 13th, and Sam Alsbaugh starts 14th.

00:08:11Ahead of Chris Smiley and another of the newcomers,

00:08:14James Dornan for Toyota Gazoo Racing UK

00:08:16is 16th on the grid.

00:08:18Ahead of Michael Kreese, 17th.

00:08:19Daryl Deney on at WSR, 18th.

00:08:21Ahead of Stephen Jelly, adapting to front-wheel drive

00:08:24for a change, and Aidan Moffat goes to WSR.

00:08:26He's 20th.

00:08:27Ahead of Adam Morgan, who goes back to front-wheel drive.

00:08:30Max Hall, new to the championship, 22nd.

00:08:32Dexter Patterson is back. He's 23rd.

00:08:34Nicholas Hamilton rejoins the championship,

00:08:36and he will start 24th on the grid.

00:08:40Right, let's start as we mean to go on.

00:08:42Tim, pick a winner.

00:08:44Well, I actually thought that the Napa cars on the front, though,

00:08:47would split their strategy.

00:08:49One gone soft, one gone medium.

00:08:51To me, it suggests that they both want to win this first race.

00:08:55So pick out of Sutton or Camish.

00:08:58I'm going to go with Camish.

00:08:59How many laps of an advantage do we give the soft

00:09:01before they start to lose their edge, do you think?

00:09:03It's not until the last third of the race.

00:09:06But it just depends how hard they push them at the start.

00:09:09But they will be quicker, about four-tenths of a second quicker

00:09:12than the medium for two-thirds of the race.

00:09:14Okay, and it's an 18-lap race.

00:09:17So that is what we have in prospect, then,

00:09:19for the start of the 2025 Quick-Fit British Touring Car Championship.

00:09:23The last car in place is the Cupra Leon of Nick Hamilton.

00:09:28He will arrive at the back of this one-by-one staggered grid,

00:09:31and that will be the cue for the green flag from the marshal

00:09:34to say that everybody is back.

00:09:36The officials on the gantry will then control the start,

00:09:39and we are seconds away.

00:09:42So, everybody, strap yourselves into the world's fastest straightjacket.

00:09:46The Quick-Fit British Touring Car Championship, the 2025,

00:09:49is about to get underway.

00:09:50Lights on the Donington gantry will glow red,

00:09:53and then we'll see who makes the best start as we go racing.

00:09:57Now, blast off, good getaway by Sutton.

00:10:00Not such a good start by Ingram.

00:10:01So Rowbottom is up alongside him.

00:10:03Down to Redgate they go.

00:10:04Camish is on the inside, Sutton on the outside.

00:10:06Contact between the pair.

00:10:08Sutton darts to the other side of the road,

00:10:10perhaps wide in and tight out being the plan,

00:10:12and that is the plan.

00:10:13Look, coming off the corner into Hollywood they go.

00:10:15Sutton at the inside of Camish, and he takes the lead

00:10:17as they hit the top of the crater curves.

00:10:19Ash Sutton leads, Dan Camish second.

00:10:21It's Tom Ingram third.

00:10:22Well, I said that I thought there was an intent from Sutton,

00:10:26and he showed it at the Turn 1.

00:10:28He forced Camish to defend a little bit,

00:10:30did a perfect cut back to the inside,

00:10:33and took the lead before they even got to the left-hander

00:10:35of the crater curves.

00:10:36So nicely done, but Camish on that soft tyre,

00:10:38staying with him.

00:10:39Then Tom Ingram, best of those on the medium tyre.

00:10:42Now, his pace is going to be fascinating.

00:10:43Relative to the two ahead, how much the gap stretches

00:10:46and when he starts to close back in

00:10:48and where the tipping point is for his tyres

00:10:50to be stronger than the softs that are on the two leading cars.

00:10:52Out of Coppice they come.

00:10:53Mikey Doble is on the attack there in the Astra,

00:10:56trying to get up the inside line

00:10:57in that Motorparks Direct with Powermax Racing Vauxhall,

00:11:00as Ingram pulls out of the draft of Camish.

00:11:02Has a look, pulls back in again.

00:11:03Rowbottom is 4th, and then in 5th it's Chilton,

00:11:06Pearson 6th, Jake Hill 7th,

00:11:08up ahead of Josh Cook.

00:11:09Yeah, so a fairly steady opening lap.

00:11:12No dramas at all.

00:11:14No problem getting the tyres up,

00:11:15especially on this lovely warm day.

00:11:17But I think the two Napa cars,

00:11:19they're going to have to manage their tyres,

00:11:21which means that they don't want to be pushing them

00:11:23too hard in the early laps,

00:11:24which is why Ingram is right on them

00:11:26in this early stage.

00:11:28And that's also why Sutton had to strike early

00:11:30rather than spend lap after lap after lap

00:11:32fighting to get through.

00:11:33This is Ingram's view.

00:11:34Down they come into the old hairpin.

00:11:36Sutton was at the end of the opening lap,

00:11:384 tenths of a second ahead,

00:11:39and he's stretching that a little bit further over Camish

00:11:41with Ingram going after him.

00:11:42Then there's a gap to Rowbottom, 4th.

00:11:44Chilton is in 5th,

00:11:46and a time penalty to Ronan Pearson.

00:11:4810 seconds for a false start.

00:11:50We need to have another look at that,

00:11:52but it may have been out of position

00:11:53rather than creeping.

00:11:54But either way, Ronan Pearson,

00:11:56who at the moment is running in that leading gaggle,

00:11:59is being given a 10 second penalty for a false start.

00:12:02Well, that's a real shame,

00:12:03because he was the third guy to put the soft tyres on,

00:12:06and he would have been really hoping to make progress

00:12:08and make hay in this first race

00:12:10while he had the advantageous tyre on.

00:12:13That's really stemming his result now.

00:12:15It has indeed,

00:12:16because he's going to go backwards,

00:12:18potentially, with that tyre choice late race,

00:12:20and, of course, they do have the 10 seconds on,

00:12:21so it is certainly going to hurt.

00:12:23And the results of this race,

00:12:25grid for race 2,

00:12:26that was Michael Preece exploring the gravel bed

00:12:28down at the chicane,

00:12:29and James Dorlin, in his first touring car race,

00:12:31comes up alongside him.

00:12:32The lead gap is already over a second,

00:12:34Sutton to Cammy,

00:12:35so Ash is getting away.

00:12:37They turn their way now through Redgate.

00:12:39Now, remember, in terms of when drivers are using the boost,

00:12:42it will go green in the second column

00:12:44on that timing tower.

00:12:45So when drivers are using the Tokyo Turbo Boost,

00:12:48it goes green.

00:12:49When they're not, it will be white.

00:12:51When it has that pink colouring,

00:12:52they've run out for the lap.

00:12:54And when you see that legend

00:12:56all red logo effectively,

00:12:58it means they've run out for the race.

00:13:00So the drivers are having to use that cleverly as ever.

00:13:03Yeah, one change to the rules is that

00:13:05from the pit lane,

00:13:06the engineers can't see when the cars are using the Turbo Boost,

00:13:10so they're not able to inform their drivers

00:13:13when to attack and defend,

00:13:14which I think is going to be a key change

00:13:16to the strategy of the races.

00:13:18Yes, because in the past,

00:13:19it would come up on the timing screen.

00:13:20It doesn't anymore,

00:13:21so the engineers have to look at the pictures,

00:13:23which are just slightly delayed to them.

00:13:25So it isn't really worth having the information there anymore.

00:13:28They can't use it to their advantage.

00:13:29Big, big drama into the chicane.

00:13:31That was Osborne getting into the back of the Toyota.

00:13:35Sorry, Chris Smiley and Dan Lloyd restart racing Hyundai,

00:13:39being given a bit of a shovel off the road.

00:13:41Dan Lloyd it was, wasn't it?

00:13:42Getting taken off the road.

00:13:43And as he comes back on,

00:13:44Gordon Shedden, I think, got caught up in that.

00:13:46Yeah, but look what's happened at the front.

00:13:48The two Napa Fords have stretched away

00:13:50significantly from Ingram now on this lap.

00:13:53And in fact, it's Camish that's getting close

00:13:56to the back of Sutton.

00:13:57And Josh Cook going up on the inside of Jake Hill

00:14:00at the old hairpin.

00:14:01There they are side by side.

00:14:02Jake Hill just stays ahead.

00:14:04Neither of them qualified quite where they wanted to be.

00:14:06Look back for the BMW.

00:14:07Josh Cook right behind as they come up towards McLean's.

00:14:10Josh back in the Honda, back in his happy place,

00:14:12but not quite as quick yesterday as he wanted.

00:14:14Good run out of McLean's up the inside for Coppice.

00:14:17Late on the brakes.

00:14:18Josh Cook goes up the inside.

00:14:20He's got his nose in front,

00:14:21but they're still dead set level coming through the corner.

00:14:24Does the Honda come through ahead?

00:14:26Yes, it does.

00:14:27Josh Cook had to work hard for that,

00:14:28but he goes up into seventh place.

00:14:31Yeah, so BTCC racing is just as close as it's ever been,

00:14:35but unusual to see the BMWs struggling.

00:14:38They've been struggling throughout testing,

00:14:40just finding the right weight distribution

00:14:42and balance for the car.

00:14:44Remember, 55 kilos has come out of all of the cars

00:14:47because of the loss of the hybrid.

00:14:49And it's just upset the BMW's balance.

00:14:52Right, have a look at what went on a lap ago.

00:14:54So that's Osborne getting into the back of Dan Lloyd.

00:14:57I think Sheddon got caught up in it as well

00:14:59and had to go through the bypass, as it were.

00:15:00They skipped back onto the circuit,

00:15:02but not a great start to the weekend for Dan Lloyd.

00:15:05No, no, that's a shame.

00:15:07And it was purely a mistake by Sam Osborne.

00:15:09Just left his braking too late,

00:15:11coming over that little hump,

00:15:13and then he just locked up the front.

00:15:16So we're on lap five already.

00:15:18Sutton to Camish was three tenths of a second,

00:15:20and Ingram staying in touch as best he can

00:15:22on that harder tyre.

00:15:24Camish, you're right,

00:15:25the two Nappa Fords have pulled away from Ingram,

00:15:27but they've also brought the gap down between themselves.

00:15:29So Camish now much, much closer to Sutton.

00:15:31Yeah, but they are managing their tyres, David,

00:15:33over this period.

00:15:34They know they mustn't push too hard.

00:15:37They've pulled the gap of a second on Ingram.

00:15:39They're just going to maintain position, I believe,

00:15:42for the next half of the race at least.

00:15:45Maybe they'll battle it out towards the end,

00:15:47but they need to look after the tyres

00:15:49if they're not to allow Ingram close to them at the end.

00:15:51But a second gap is about what they want.

00:15:54At the moment, that gap between Camish and Ingram

00:15:56has come down from a second to three quarters of a second,

00:15:59but they need to learn where the pace is,

00:16:01and the engineers will be telling them the gaps

00:16:03and the lap times.

00:16:05Gordon Shedden being given a driving standards warning flag

00:16:08for track limit offences.

00:16:09As you look at Aidan Moffat there

00:16:10getting a tap in the tail from Gordon Shedden

00:16:12going around Redgate.

00:16:13Proper Scottish fight going on here.

00:16:15Aidan Moffat has made good progress, hasn't he?

00:16:17Up into 14th, having started 20th on the grid.

00:16:19And now you're on board with Max Hall

00:16:21heading down through the crane of curves

00:16:22as he comes up to attack Osborne.

00:16:24Hall making progress as well.

00:16:26Yes, Sam Osborne's got obviously some damage on the front as well

00:16:29from when he ran into the back of Dan Lloyd,

00:16:32but Max Hall making progress in his first ever BTCC race.

00:16:36He's so excited, but what a talent he is

00:16:38having finished as runner-up in the Mini JCW Series

00:16:42as a rookie, don't forget, in that championship.

00:16:44You don't do that unless you are extremely talented.

00:16:47A good little Hyundai battle going on here.

00:16:49The restart racing car of Dan Lloyd,

00:16:51the Team Virtue car of Adam Morgan.

00:16:53They're going to be side by side.

00:16:54Are they on the run to the chicane?

00:16:55Morgan on the inside,

00:16:56the largely black car of Dan Lloyd on the outside line.

00:16:59Morgan's got the line down the straight,

00:17:01into the corner, bit of boost used, no doubt.

00:17:03Through he has gone.

00:17:04Adam Morgan then gains a place.

00:17:06He was way, way back on the grid

00:17:07after track limit dramas yesterday,

00:17:09but he has managed to go through

00:17:11as the leaders then go down through the crane of curves.

00:17:139 tenths of a second now, cover the top three.

00:17:16Yes, and Ingram closer to the front two on this lap.

00:17:19Sutton doesn't want to go any faster than he has to,

00:17:23but it puts Kamish in a difficult position

00:17:25if he backs him into Tom Ingram.

00:17:28So Kamish will be saying,

00:17:29look, keep the pace up.

00:17:30I don't want to have Ingram on my back bumper.

00:17:32There'll be some talk on the radio, definitely.

00:17:35And Kamish has now been given a track limit flag.

00:17:38The old hairpin here is where people are running wide

00:17:41and incurring the wrath of race control.

00:17:43But Ingram, last time around,

00:17:45lapped quicker than the two ahead of him.

00:17:47So time management is very much a thing,

00:17:49but so is Ingram's pace.

00:17:50As here, Max Hall gets up the inside,

00:17:52makes his move, goes through.

00:17:54Mikey Doble, meanwhile, comes through Coppice,

00:17:56and that was a big whack in the back

00:17:57as far as Aaron Taylor-Smith was concerned.

00:17:59Chris Smiley was right there with him.

00:18:01Contact made, and Charles Rainford's BMW

00:18:03gets up the inside,

00:18:04and I think Taylor-Smith has got a problem, hasn't he?

00:18:06Because he's slowed,

00:18:07and he's lost a lot of places in a straight line.

00:18:09Yeah, definitely backing...

00:18:11Now look, Ingram is right on the back of Kamish.

00:18:13He's even looking down the inside.

00:18:16So this is now getting very close.

00:18:19If Kamish has got some pace,

00:18:21he needs to show it now and get away from Ingram.

00:18:23And we've only done seven laps,

00:18:25so we're not even at the halfway point,

00:18:27and it looks as though that medium tire

00:18:29is now the one to have.

00:18:30Ingram goes second on the inside,

00:18:32coming down to the old hairpin,

00:18:33and there's nothing Kamish can do in retaliation.

00:18:35Now, is that purely tires,

00:18:36or is there something else amiss with Kamish's car?

00:18:38It's very early to be losing the pace of those soft tires,

00:18:41and it doesn't seem to be at the moment affecting Sutton.

00:18:44We'll soon get an idea,

00:18:46but again, Kamish was wide on the old hairpin again,

00:18:50and he can't afford to incur any more track limit problems.

00:18:54Great move, and Kamish didn't really fight it, did he?

00:18:57So that implies he knew that he was beaten

00:19:00either for pace or with a problem,

00:19:02but let's watch what happens now with Ingram

00:19:04if he can close down on Sutton.

00:19:06That'll tell us whether it's tires or a problem.

00:19:09Indeed so, right.

00:19:10We'll see what the gap is,

00:19:11and that off the road is one of the one motorsport Hondas.

00:19:14It's jelly.

00:19:15It is.

00:19:16It is jelly.

00:19:17Yeah, and he's got damage on the front.

00:19:18Look, he's been off at McLean's,

00:19:19he comes back on at Coppice,

00:19:20but it looks like he's been into the back of somebody.

00:19:22Right, the leaders now work their way up through the chicane,

00:19:25over the line.

00:19:26Sutton to Ingram is 1.2 seconds.

00:19:28That's the starting point now for this lead battle

00:19:30as they begin lap number nine.

00:19:32Third, it's Kamish.

00:19:33Row, bottom, fourth.

00:19:34Pearson is fifth.

00:19:35Sixth is Chilton.

00:19:36Seventh is Cook.

00:19:37Eighth is Hill.

00:19:38Ninth is Doble.

00:19:39Tenth is Rainford.

00:19:40Shedden's got damage there, you can see.

00:19:41Remember that Pearson has that penalty to apply

00:19:45at the end of the race.

00:19:46So, Gordon Shedden with that flapping wing.

00:19:48Now, remember what happened with flapping bodywork last year.

00:19:50There were black and orange flags.

00:19:52Cars needing to be brought in

00:19:53and have that bodywork taped up.

00:19:55That is quite pronounced.

00:19:56Yes, it is, and of course,

00:19:57Shedden wasn't here last year when that rule came in.

00:20:00When Shedden was last here,

00:20:01he was able to remove flapping bodywork

00:20:03on the tyre that's next to him, wasn't he?

00:20:05Daryl Deleon just getting himself up ahead there

00:20:08of Chris Smiley for 11th place.

00:20:09Daryl Deleon also working forward.

00:20:11The BMWs, his and Moffat's car,

00:20:13coming not so much alive,

00:20:15but certainly working better today than yesterday

00:20:17as now Tom Chilton is under attack from Josh Cook

00:20:20in the one-motor spot.

00:20:21Honda up the inside line goes Cook.

00:20:22He jobbed down into the chicane,

00:20:24so through into sixth place on the road

00:20:26goes Josh Cook.

00:20:27Nice move.

00:20:28Neat and tidy, as always, from Josh Cook.

00:20:31Jake Hill being warned about track limits as well,

00:20:34as Chris Smiley and...

00:20:36Is that Aidan Moffat behind him?

00:20:38No, Charles Rainford behind him.

00:20:39Come out of the chicane, up towards the line.

00:20:41Smiley's new Hyundai going really nicely,

00:20:43and look at that bodywork coming off Gordon Shedden's car.

00:20:46As yet, we haven't seen the meatball mechanical warning flag for him,

00:20:50but the scrutineers, I can see on the pit wall,

00:20:52are having a good look.

00:20:53They are indeed, and this is on board with Ingram.

00:20:56That gap is now just half a second,

00:20:58whereas 1.2, I think, when you pointed out initially.

00:21:01So Ingram definitely has pace over Sutton.

00:21:07Into the pit lane has come Aaron Taylor-Smith and Stephen Shelley,

00:21:10and now the mechanical warning flag is being given to Gordon Shedden,

00:21:13as we were predicting it really would.

00:21:15So there it is, the meatball flag.

00:21:17The orange disc on the black background

00:21:19for number 52 for Gordon Shedden.

00:21:21As I say, his teammate, Aaron Taylor-Smith,

00:21:23has been into the pit.

00:21:24Stephen Shelley has been in for running repairs as well.

00:21:27Nick Hamilton has also had a pit stop,

00:21:29and this is the lead battle now coming up to the end of lap number 10.

00:21:32Ash Sutton leads Tom Ingram.

00:21:34The gap was half a second.

00:21:36The gap is now three-tenths of a second,

00:21:38and Ingram's got time on his side.

00:21:39Yeah, he's got plenty of laps left, hasn't he?

00:21:41Oh, puncture.

00:21:44That's Morgan.

00:21:45Adam Morgan's got a punctured tyre.

00:21:46And damage.

00:21:47That's more than just that.

00:21:48That was damage.

00:21:49I was looking, waiting to see the wheel,

00:21:52but the wheel was at a bad angle,

00:21:53so he's had contact with somebody.

00:21:55Look at the speed of Ingram down through the crane of curves.

00:21:58He was looking to line up Sutton.

00:22:00Same place he passed Kamish,

00:22:02but Sutton just closed the door a little bit,

00:22:04left the car in the middle of the road.

00:22:06But Ingram's got great pace down the crane of curves.

00:22:09We've had confirmation that Dan Kamish's tyres are dropping off,

00:22:12and now Sutton's will be doing the same.

00:22:14Tom Ingram right there behind him,

00:22:15working out where he can make the move.

00:22:17Well, the next obvious place is going to be down to the chicane,

00:22:20a good exit from Coppice and a bit of use of the boost.

00:22:23So let's have a look at that graphic

00:22:24and see if and when Ingram gets onto the boost.

00:22:27Meanwhile, this is the replay of a bit of contact.

00:22:30That was...

00:22:31Oh, dear.

00:22:32Josh Cook getting turned towards the tyres,

00:22:34bouncing through a safety car deployed.

00:22:36That was with Chilton, wasn't it?

00:22:37And Josh Cook losing out.

00:22:39Safety car on track.

00:22:40Now, is that because the tyres have been dislodged into a dangerous place?

00:22:44I'm not sure.

00:22:45We'll have to wait and see.

00:22:46Or is it because the car's stopped in a dangerous place?

00:22:49But safety car is out.

00:22:52Now, we understand from Louise at the pits

00:22:54that Ash's tyres aren't dropping away

00:22:56in the same way that Dan Camish's tyres were.

00:22:58It's partly to get that car out of the way.

00:23:01Adam Morgan's car then with the damage.

00:23:03He has a look.

00:23:04Gordon Sheddon still needs to serve a pit stop.

00:23:07Does need to sort out that damage.

00:23:08Do it now under the safety car.

00:23:10Absolutely. Now's the time to do it.

00:23:11And I think he's heading in.

00:23:13Yes, he is.

00:23:14Camish is in the pits as well, apparently, I'm being told.

00:23:17And he's got a puncture on the left front.

00:23:19So the softs are not holding up.

00:23:21Either that or Camish had too aggressive a setup on Camber on the front.

00:23:25But he was in trouble very early on, wasn't he?

00:23:28Right. Well, again, this safety car helps him

00:23:30because he can stay on the lead lap.

00:23:32At least he can buy back some places.

00:23:34But it's going to be a very disappointing race.

00:23:36No, you're right.

00:23:37They're not changing the tyres, so I can only assume he's out.

00:23:40All right. Let's have a look here.

00:23:42This was the contact between Chilton and Cook.

00:23:44Cook gets sideways. Bang!

00:23:46That's a massive whack.

00:23:47I'm amazed he's still in the race.

00:23:49Yeah, and this is, I mean,

00:23:51this is why the drivers don't want tyre stacks there.

00:23:54But they're there because they failed to adhere to the track limits

00:23:59when the tyres were moved in three patches.

00:24:02This was a great start by Sutton-Watt.

00:24:04He pushes Camish to the inside, then tucks back beautifully early on the power.

00:24:09Being early on the power and having the traction off the corner

00:24:12got him immediately to the front.

00:24:15Dan Camish back in the race.

00:24:17So tyre is changed, but that's going to put him way, way down the order.

00:24:20But as long as he's on the lead lap, he can catch the queue and gain some places.

00:24:23Now, that's the tyre stack that has been dislodged.

00:24:27And Adam Morgan's car also needing to be removed.

00:24:30It's still one of the quirks of track limits

00:24:32that you have to have a safety car to move that,

00:24:34but yet the tyre stack can remain at the chicane.

00:24:36But such is life.

00:24:37Gordon Shedden's damage has been attended to,

00:24:39so the Tank Tape Special is ready to rejoin.

00:24:42Gordon's going to be a little bit grumpy about that

00:24:44because that puts him even further away from the front now

00:24:46and further back on the grid for race two.

00:24:48Yeah, got a feeling he might have lost the lap as well

00:24:51because the lead that the pack is actually going through.

00:24:54Very disappointed, Adam Morgan.

00:24:56His start to 2025 has not gone as he expected.

00:25:00No, indeed.

00:25:01So still need to piece together how he got that damage, don't we?

00:25:05We'll try and unravel that.

00:25:06But Jack Hill makes his way behind the safety car.

00:25:09Keeping the tyre pressures and warmth up.

00:25:12And let's have a look at his start.

00:25:15A long hold.

00:25:16Remember, the BMWs had great starts last year.

00:25:19It looks pretty equal, doesn't it, to the front-wheel drive cars around it.

00:25:23There was no great gain there to

00:25:26track position on the run down to turn one.

00:25:29So

00:25:32it appears the BMW at the moment doesn't have an advantage

00:25:36It appears the BMW at the moment doesn't have an advantage on the start line

00:25:40but it could just be a case of finding the right setting for throttle clutch

00:25:44and as we keep saying, a redistribution of weight on the car may have changed things as well.

00:25:52But a fairly steady start to the first lap for champion Jake Hill.

00:26:07This is an interesting one.

00:26:11We're going to have a grandstand view from Tom Ingram's car of the move from Sutton.

00:26:16So he gets the initial launch.

00:26:22He pushes Camish to the inside.

00:26:26He wants Camish as tight as he can so that then he can

00:26:30duck out wide and cut back on the exit.

00:26:37That was great driving by Sutton.

00:26:40Really canny, clever driving.

00:26:42He forced Camish to be slower in the corner and exit tighter

00:26:47so he could have the cut back on him.

00:26:49Really good driving by Sutton.

00:26:53So here at Donington we're still behind the safety car.

00:26:55The leaders are coming out of the chicane

00:26:57and you can just see towards the right as you look at it

00:27:00the circuit vehicle pushing the tyre stack back into place.

00:27:04Now there is number two, Daryl Deleon.

00:27:06Aidan Moffat behind him.

00:27:07They are 10th and 11th at the moment.

00:27:09Deleon started 18th on the grid.

00:27:11Moffat started 20th.

00:27:13So alright, yeah, the BMWs aren't where you would normally expect to see them

00:27:16but that is quite good progress.

00:27:17That's very good progress and they'll be pleased with that.

00:27:20Particularly Charles Rainford in his first touring car race.

00:27:24He of course came from Porsche Carrera Cup.

00:27:26He was runner-up in the championship last year

00:27:28so he was coming from a rear-wheel drive car

00:27:31to a rear-wheel drive touring car.

00:27:33Certainly that made the step easier.

00:27:36But yes, very good.

00:27:37That's Max Hall in his first touring car race.

00:27:40You were saying earlier on about what a star in minis he was

00:27:42and also in the pre-season tests he looked good

00:27:44and this is his start.

00:27:45Ah well, from back on the grid, not a good start.

00:27:48Way too much wheel spin

00:27:50and he lost a lot of track position there.

00:27:54He's got James Dorlin, another first-timer in front of him

00:27:57who also made a bad start

00:27:59and this is not surprising.

00:28:01It's quite a technique to get the revs and the clutch and throttle right.

00:28:06He'll catch up a little bit on this first lap

00:28:09as there's some inevitable bunching on the start

00:28:12but he's going to have to work on those starts

00:28:14for when he qualifies further up

00:28:16or he's going to lose position.

00:28:17James Dorlin takes that position back on the way run down into the old hairpin.

00:28:24They're catching the main pack

00:28:27so that the loss from that start is negated a little bit

00:28:31but he certainly didn't gain any positions

00:28:33and now they're on the back of the pack

00:28:35and his racing can really start forwards now.

00:28:39He's a great racer.

00:28:40If you come from the Mini Championship, you know how to duck a dive.

00:28:44True.

00:28:46Already looking for somewhere to potentially go on the run down to the chicane.

00:28:52Dorlin's trying to move about

00:28:54but down the inside throws it.

00:28:57Max Hall gets that position back

00:28:59so him and James Dorlin have swapped positions three times on the first lap.

00:29:04Now we're on lap 15.

00:29:06We can add on a maximum of three laps for a safety car period

00:29:11so we are potentially looking at 20 or 21 laps

00:29:15but what has this safety car period done for Rush Sutton's tyres?

00:29:19Well, it's given him a chance to cool them down a little bit actually.

00:29:22Take the stress out of them which is good

00:29:25but whether it'll give them any more life and pace is another matter.

00:29:30Obviously, Tom Ingram would have liked the race to have continued without safety car.

00:29:34He wants maximum stress that he can possibly have on Sutton's car

00:29:38so it's a benefit for Sutton

00:29:41but whether it's enough to hold off Ingram, we'll have to see.

00:29:45Now also at the end of this safety car period

00:29:47you cannot get up to race pace until you pass the go board.

00:29:51The safety car can get away, the safety car can peel in

00:29:54but you can't floor the throttle until you go past the so-called go board.

00:29:59That's new for touring cars this year.

00:30:00Yeah, the weaving has to stop when the lights go out.

00:30:03The cars have to maintain within two car lengths

00:30:06and the acceleration point is after the chicane

00:30:09between the exit of the chicane and the start finish line

00:30:13so that's when they'll all go.

00:30:15So they should potentially be much closer together.

00:30:18Right, so Ash Sutton is the leader.

00:30:21Here they come, past the go board, back onto the power, up towards the line in a moment.

00:30:2521 laps then is the duration.

00:30:27The end of lap 15 then now as Ash Sutton

00:30:33late, late, late, accelerates away, bit of bunching behind him

00:30:36and Michael Kreese is off the road because he accelerated before others

00:30:39so he's off the road.

00:30:40He's got one of the sponsor hoardings wrapped around the front of the car.

00:30:43That ain't going to help the cooling, that's for sure.

00:30:45Sutton leads, Ingram is second.

00:30:46It is now Robotson in third

00:30:48and this is on board with Hill as Cook and Chilton are back at battle once again

00:30:52as they go down through the craners.

00:30:53Hill tries to squeeze up alongside Chilton

00:30:56who's going to come across in a moment.

00:30:57There he is, he just gives him room.

00:30:59Cook's on the outside line, Mikey Doval joins in.

00:31:01Hill gets ahead of Chilton.

00:31:02That was a really, really good move down through the craner.

00:31:05Curves by Jake.

00:31:06Yeah, well the idea of the restart was to bunch the cars up much closer

00:31:10and it certainly had that effect, didn't it?

00:31:12They were some further back going a bit too early

00:31:15but the pack very much close together

00:31:17or closer together than they would have been under a conventional restart

00:31:20but more importantly Ingram is glued to the back of Ash Sutton's bumper.

00:31:24And a big, big slide there.

00:31:26That's Rainford off the road, Charles Rainford through the gravel

00:31:28and he's found the tyres, has he?

00:31:30Yes, he has, he just glances off them.

00:31:32Go on, Charles, keep it going.

00:31:33Tries to dig himself out the other side

00:31:35as the leaders come down to the chicane

00:31:37and it's still Sutton ahead of Ingram.

00:31:39Then a gap to Rowbottom.

00:31:40Pearson Forth has dropped back a little bit.

00:31:41Moffat goes ahead of Daryl Deleon then.

00:31:43This is a really feisty drive by Aiden.

00:31:45He's made good, good progress up from 20th on the grid.

00:31:49I know he's been helped by one or two people having dramas

00:31:51but even so, good race craft.

00:31:53We're on lap 17.

00:31:54Sutton leads still by three tenths

00:31:56and he's done the fastest lap.

00:31:58Yeah, well, he did the fastest lap on lap two.

00:32:01They won't get near that again now with the tyre degradation

00:32:04but yes, a great drive indeed.

00:32:07Look at the battle at the front.

00:32:08Ingram's loving this.

00:32:10He knows he's got Sutton a little bit on the ropes now

00:32:13but Moffat's had all sorts of problems with that BMW.

00:32:16Electrical problems, roll bar problems.

00:32:18So it's good to see him having a good race.

00:32:20I think Dan Lloyd being roughed up there

00:32:22coming out of the old hairpin.

00:32:23Right, let's go aboard with Tom Ingram.

00:32:25This is for the lead.

00:32:26We're on lap 17 of 21.

00:32:28The tyres on his car working better.

00:32:30Michael Kreese has pitted inevitably after his dramas

00:32:33on the restart.

00:32:34Out they come from Coppice.

00:32:35Down, Starkey straight.

00:32:37It's Dan Robotson back in third place

00:32:39and he's being sort of attacked by Rodan Pearson

00:32:41who's got a penalty anyway

00:32:42so it doesn't really matter quite so much.

00:32:44Break for the chicane.

00:32:45Ingram not able though to get up alongside

00:32:47and make a move there.

00:32:48Could he possibly do it at red gate?

00:32:50They come over the line.

00:32:51The boost will reset for another lap any second.

00:32:54Now, down they go towards the braking zone from red gate.

00:32:57Four tenths of a second is the margin.

00:32:59And remember the other new regulation

00:33:01is that those that finish in the first three

00:33:04as we have Mikey Doble

00:33:06right into the back of Cook.

00:33:08Cook's been roughed up something rotten in this race, hasn't he?

00:33:11Hasn't he ever.

00:33:12He's been punted into the tyres.

00:33:13He's been attacked on all sides.

00:33:15But yeah, remember the first three in this race

00:33:18will have to start the second race on the medium tyre.

00:33:21James Dorland's race has come to an end.

00:33:23That looks like it's up at Coppice.

00:33:26It's red gate, isn't it?

00:33:27He's got a long way off at red gate.

00:33:28Oh, it could be.

00:33:29And I fear that that might trigger a safety car again.

00:33:31So let's see.

00:33:32Race leaders go through.

00:33:33James Dorland as Aaron Taylor-Smith

00:33:35is back into the pits with dramas.

00:33:37The battle between Cook and Doble continues.

00:33:39Josh Cook was not dislodged from the place.

00:33:41At least Mikey Doble backed out of it

00:33:43and let Josh recover rather than going through

00:33:45and risking a penalty.

00:33:46But he is still committed to getting past

00:33:48the very battle-scarred Honda.

00:33:50One motorsport owned by Steve Dudman

00:33:52who of course came out of National Hot Rod Racing.

00:33:54Steve must be looking at this thinking he's

00:33:56back at the stock car track almost

00:33:57the way that Josh's Honda has been

00:33:59knocked from pillar to post.

00:34:00Down to the chicane.

00:34:01This was the tyre stack that did the big damage

00:34:03on the left-hand side earlier.

00:34:04Avoided this time because there's no contact

00:34:06and over the line they go.

00:34:07Now, we are on lap number 19

00:34:11and we're running out of options for Tom Ingram

00:34:13and he's still not had a proper bid for the lead.

00:34:16No, Ash Sutton's driven a masterful defensive race.

00:34:19So far, he's really absorbed the pressure

00:34:22and the lap time-wise he's doing an 8.9.

00:34:26Identical lap times to Ingram.

00:34:29Road bottoms in the 10s.

00:34:31Pearson's a 9.9.

00:34:33So they are comfortably the two fastest cars on the track.

00:34:37Yeah, Jake Hill is the man in fifth place

00:34:39and could benefit further from Pearson's penalty.

00:34:42And the race leaders then go up towards Coppice.

00:34:45This is lap 19, remember.

00:34:47And Ingram running out of corners, running out of laps,

00:34:50running out of options as well.

00:34:52Here you've got two of the star drivers

00:34:54in the British Touring Car Championship going toe-to-toe.

00:34:57Dan Camish further back.

00:34:58He's trying to gain ground, remember, after his pit stop

00:35:01and coming up through the ranks.

00:35:03You've also got Dan Lloyd getting past Osborne.

00:35:05More and more track limit flags are going out.

00:35:07I won't bore you with all the numbers,

00:35:09but it's now starting to affect more and more drivers.

00:35:11So, Camish, 12th after his pit stop.

00:35:14That's good going and he might gain further ground yet

00:35:16coming down towards the chicane because he's up in the BMWs.

00:35:19Yeah, well, this is Daryl De Leon

00:35:21right up behind Aidan Moffat's car.

00:35:23So the two BMWs are scrapping together

00:35:26and this is helping everyone else behind.

00:35:28Remember, Moffat's already past De Leon.

00:35:30De Leon wants the place back

00:35:31and he opens the door for Camish at Redgate

00:35:33and Dan Camish says, thank you very much, gets up the inside.

00:35:36Let's see if that move works.

00:35:37Coming off the corner, he's taking Dan Lloyd with him as well,

00:35:40I think, as they drop now down through the craters

00:35:42and Camish did not get past the BMW

00:35:44and actually comes under attack.

00:35:46Here they come. It's Chris Smiley's Hyundai,

00:35:48in fact, that he's having to squabble with.

00:35:50That car going really nicely.

00:35:51Chris Smiley on the back of Camish.

00:35:53Here are the leaders.

00:35:54Ingram can't do anything about Sutton yet

00:35:57and he's running out of time.

00:35:58He is running out of time,

00:36:00but they'll both be happy with good points

00:36:02at least to start the year with,

00:36:05but it will change the tire dynamic going forward.

00:36:08They'll both have to be on the medium tire for race two,

00:36:11but it does mean that Ingram then will be committed

00:36:14to the soft tire in race three.

00:36:16Here they come, out of the chicane, over the line

00:36:19and it remains onto the last lap.

00:36:21And now Ash Sutton ahead of Tom Ingram

00:36:24by two tenths of a second closer now than ever before

00:36:26and Ingram does this time make a proper push

00:36:29down towards Redgate.

00:36:30He needs to get the tighter line coming off the corner,

00:36:32trying to get up the inside, onto the top of the crane,

00:36:34the curves and he can't do it there.

00:36:36Sutton moves across, takes the line from the corner

00:36:38as Ingram closes, closes, closes.

00:36:40Sutton on the boost as they go down the hill.

00:36:42Here they come.

00:36:43Ingram to the outside line, no way through there.

00:36:45Again, he wants to try to get the better line off the corner.

00:36:48Accelerates up towards the left of Schwantz' curve.

00:36:51Sutton on the boost, again trying to pull away.

00:36:54He knows how close Ingram is

00:36:56and Ash Sutton has got to hang on in there

00:36:58for another half a lap as they run nose to tail out of McLean's.

00:37:02He's got a little bit of breathing space there

00:37:04up towards Coppice.

00:37:05Ingram has got this corner and the chicane to go.

00:37:08Cross off Coppice, that's not going to happen for him.

00:37:10He's got to be on the boost now to get close to the chicane,

00:37:14overtaking opportunity that he craves.

00:37:16Sutton gets past the slow Hyundai Michael Kreese.

00:37:19This is Ingram's last chance,

00:37:20last corner of the race into the chicane,

00:37:22but again, although he's close, there just wasn't an opportunity.

00:37:25What about on the boost coming out of the chicane?

00:37:27Sutton's got it covered.

00:37:28Here they come up towards the checkered flag.

00:37:30Round one, won by Ash Sutton at Donington.

00:37:33Tom Ingram takes second place, the gap at the flag,

00:37:350.267 of a second.

00:37:37Dan Robotham takes third,

00:37:39and Jake Hill is going to be fourth there to cross the line.

00:37:42Ronan Pearson goes through.

00:37:43Let's see where the penalty puts him,

00:37:45because sixth will go to Mikey Doble.

00:37:47Josh Cook, seventh.

00:37:48And look at this great scrum of cars pouring over the line.

00:37:51Dan Camish, eighth after a pit stop.

00:37:54Mega return to the top ten, that was.

00:37:57Ninth, Aidan Moffat.

00:37:58Tenth, Chris Smiley.

00:37:59And Dexter Patterson taking eleventh

00:38:01on that scramble to the line ahead of Lloyd.

00:38:04Then Pearson on corrected time.

00:38:06Max Hall, fourteenth.

00:38:07And Sam Osborne in the points, fifteenth.

00:38:09What a start to the season.

00:38:10Well, the 2025 season's kicked off in fine style

00:38:15with action aplenty, a great race.

00:38:17It's like they've never been away.

00:38:19They certainly haven't lost any of their race craft, have they?

00:38:22And that man Sutton starting off his quest

00:38:25for a fifth title in fine form.

00:38:28Charles Rainford was seventeenth, by the way,

00:38:30after his trip through the gravel.

00:38:31He did get going again,

00:38:32but frustration for him.

00:38:34Daryl Deleon dropped away at the end.

00:38:36He fell to sixteenth place.

00:38:37Gordon Shedden was nineteenth after his pit stop.

00:38:40Stephen Jelly was twentieth.

00:38:42James Dornan, Aaron Taylor-Smith, Adam Morgan,

00:38:44the ones we lost.

00:38:45And Ash Sutton takes the race win then.

00:38:48Career victory 43 for him.

00:38:51And to do that on a tyre that wasn't as good

00:38:54at the end of the race as it was at the start

00:38:56was proof of how good a driver he is.

00:38:58Yeah, it'll be interesting to find out

00:39:00whether Camish's problems were...

00:39:02I mean, they could have been self-induced.

00:39:04He may have caused an early puncture

00:39:06by driving over the kerbs in the early laps.

00:39:08And that's why he suddenly lost the pace

00:39:10and had the puncture.

00:39:12It might have been a slow puncture to start with

00:39:14from a cut rather than anything else.

00:39:16But we'll find out and we'll know more by race two.

00:39:19Ash Sutton wins round one

00:39:21of the Quick-Fit British Touring Car Championship.

00:39:24Tom Ingram the runner-up

00:39:25and Dan Robotson taking third place

00:39:27at his home circuit.

00:39:28Fourth goes the way of Jake Hill

00:39:30ahead of Tom Chilton

00:39:31and then Mikey Doble.

00:39:32A roughed-up Josh Cook,

00:39:33seventh ahead of Dan Camish.

00:39:35Quite a recovery that after a pit stop.

00:39:37Ninth Aidan Moffat

00:39:38for 20th on the grid.

00:39:39And the top ten rounded out by Chris Smiley.

00:39:4211th Dexter Patterson,

00:39:44Dan Lloyd 12th,

00:39:45Ronan Pearson 13th

00:39:46with his penalty for the false start applied.

00:39:48Max Hall points on his first championship race.

00:39:50Excellent effort ahead of Sam Osborne.

00:39:52Daryl De Leon dropped to 16th.

00:39:54Charles Rainford's trip through the gravel

00:39:55put him 17th.

00:39:56Michael Kreese,

00:39:57a lap down after a pit stop

00:39:58with the hoarding wrapped around the front

00:40:00making the car overheat.

00:40:01Gordon Shedden was forced into the pits with damage.

00:40:03Stephen Gellie also had to pit

00:40:05because of damage

00:40:06and Nick Hamilton made a pit stop early in the race.

00:40:08He was 21st.

00:40:09We lost James Dornan into the gravel.

00:40:11Aaron Taylor-Smith had problems

00:40:12that put him into the pit lane

00:40:14and Adam Morgan was out with damage.

00:40:17The new roller has already gone under

00:40:19Ash Sutton's Ford Focus, we understand.

00:40:21So it's thumbs up all round.

00:40:23That nerve-wracking part of the process has gone.

00:40:25The car will make its way then now down to

00:40:27the Parc Ferme area.

00:40:32And then through will come

00:40:34Tom Ingram's Hyundai and Dan Robotson's Ford.

00:40:36Good result for Napa Racing with

00:40:38two out of three

00:40:41top three results.

00:40:42There is the Hyundai heading forward.

00:40:44You can see a little bit of damage around the right front.

00:40:46Proof of how hard it's been driven.

00:40:48But the roller will go under there

00:40:50as now Ash Sutton's car makes its way

00:40:52to the Parc Ferme area.

00:40:53Ash Sutton clambers out. A happy man.

00:40:57And a 43rd career victory for Ash.

00:41:00And of course he's looking to try and be a

00:41:02history-making five-times champion here.

00:41:04The partnership between Ash

00:41:06and Tony Carrozza continues

00:41:08very successfully.

00:41:09Ash Sutton then kicks off

00:41:11BTCC 2025 with a win.

00:41:13And he can reflect on that success

00:41:16after the break.

00:41:232025 is go.

00:41:25Napa Racing battle at the front of the grid

00:41:27at Donington.

00:41:28Sutton versus Camish in the first few corners

00:41:30of the new touring car season.

00:41:32And it was Sutton who came out

00:41:34in front.

00:41:35Tom Ingram took the fight to second place

00:41:37Camish and on lap eight he was through.

00:41:39Short time later a safety car was required.

00:41:42Good move by Hill on Chilton.

00:41:44But Sutton defending brilliantly

00:41:46against Ingram.

00:41:48A winning start

00:41:50with Tom Ingram in second.

00:41:52And Dan Rowbottom taking third.

00:41:54Let's get all the reaction.

00:41:55Congratulations, Ash.

00:41:56First win of the season is yours.

00:41:58Masterful defense throughout that race.

00:42:00But I want to talk about the brief attacking bit

00:42:02first of all.

00:42:03That move you pulled on your teammate at the start.

00:42:05Yeah, we were rooming an hour in whether we go

00:42:07soft or medium since qualifying.

00:42:09And we made a decision to go soft

00:42:11and try and go for the points.

00:42:12And yeah, got it off the line really cleanly.

00:42:14Got alongside Dan and I

00:42:16just did the old switcher at Turn 1

00:42:18and I caught him sort of napping with that.

00:42:19So yeah, really happy that we got into

00:42:21got into the lead from the get-go.

00:42:23But my God, did I have to start nursing that tyre

00:42:25from that point onwards.

00:42:26How tough was it to control it with this man

00:42:28just off to your right, my left, Tom,

00:42:30close behind you in the final few laps?

00:42:32Yeah, obviously

00:42:34they're showing their pace, FP1, FP2,

00:42:36showing how quick the car can be.

00:42:38So I knew it was always going to be tough

00:42:40no matter what tyre choice he was on.

00:42:41But the fact I had to go into that nursing phase

00:42:43from the get-go, it sort of made me concerned.

00:42:45Especially when I see DC going backwards

00:42:47and picking his puncture up.

00:42:49Yeah, obviously we had enough hybrid.

00:42:51We made sure we had enough hybrid at the end

00:42:52to just sort of match what Tom was doing

00:42:54and keep the defence alive.

00:42:56Just the front three, top three guys

00:42:58on the hard tyre for the next race,

00:43:00possibly anywhere, there could be more obviously.

00:43:02But what impact is that going to have?

00:43:04The fact that it's only the three of you

00:43:06that have to use it now.

00:43:07Yeah, obviously, Tom, well, obviously going on

00:43:09to the harder tyre of our choices.

00:43:11So that's back to the medium.

00:43:12So obviously Tom's already run the medium,

00:43:13we've run the soft.

00:43:14So yeah, we're obviously going to...

00:43:16I say we're going to take a backwards step,

00:43:18but I'd like to think we could actually

00:43:19maybe use the tyre this time

00:43:21and make the most of it and get more pace out of the car.

00:43:23We've got to make a few changes.

00:43:24But yeah, the top three are all going to be on the medium.

00:43:27I was the only odd one out, but bring it on.

00:43:29Well done, well done.

00:43:30And Tom, not a bad result really,

00:43:32given Ash has now used up his softer tyre.

00:43:35You've got that one left behind and it's a P2, so...

00:43:38Kind of worked as we wanted it to, to be honest.

00:43:41I mean, the game plan was always to look at it

00:43:43with the pace, as Ash said,

00:43:44and then we've been really strong this weekend

00:43:46with our pace.

00:43:47So FP1 and FP2 were particularly strong

00:43:49and then we obviously had the slight mix up with quali.

00:43:52But what was quite nice is then,

00:43:55because we've all got an equal amount of hype...

00:43:58Boost.

00:43:59Boost, we know the level of everyone,

00:44:02so you're not expecting a sudden result.

00:44:04So we thought, worst case scenario,

00:44:07we're going to be fourth or fifth

00:44:09with the pace that we've got in the car,

00:44:10maybe even better.

00:44:11So let's use that now, get it out of the way.

00:44:14If we finish top three as we have,

00:44:15we'll go onto the medium tyre again for race two,

00:44:17which means we're then the same as these guys around us.

00:44:20And then if there's a reverse grid

00:44:22and we're back in 12 or 11,

00:44:23we can then use the soft tyre to try and come back through.

00:44:26That's the thinking, but as we know,

00:44:28it never quite works out like that.

00:44:29So I'm sure something will happen in this race

00:44:31and it will scupper all of our plans,

00:44:33but you never know.

00:44:34But a great first race as Team Virtue,

00:44:36a great way to start the season off.

00:44:38It looks like running very bright cars

00:44:40is the way to go in this championship

00:44:42with the Nappa yellows

00:44:43and the teal for Virtue and everything.

00:44:44It's quite good.

00:44:45Team Bright, I think,

00:44:46has gone quite well for the top three.

00:44:48So good start.

00:44:50Let's see what happens in this next one.

00:44:52Ash coming over to the medium.

00:44:55He'll have fun on that.

00:44:57Robo will be there.

00:44:59DC, as he's now referred to,

00:45:01I didn't know David Coulthard was back,

00:45:03will be coming back to the Pakistan.

00:45:04So it'll be an exciting one.

00:45:05Great stuff.

00:45:06We'll see you out there for the next one.

00:45:07And well done, Robo.

00:45:09That new heart of yours, it's doing the job, isn't it?

00:45:12I bet it's pumping a bit faster after that one.

00:45:14Probably should thank everybody at Ward 727 at the QE

00:45:16for doing such a good job,

00:45:17all the girls and guys there.

00:45:18But no, it's a great way to start the year.

00:45:20Obviously, everyone at Nappa Race had a good weekend,

00:45:22apart from, obviously, Camo there.

00:45:24He's suffered a puncture, which is difficult.

00:45:28But, you know, ultimately, he'll come back through.

00:45:30Yeah, it was a good race.

00:45:31You know, we didn't really have much.

00:45:32Couldn't hold a candle to Tom.

00:45:33You know, that car's on the same tyre.

00:45:36Yeah, we couldn't hold a candle to him.

00:45:37He drove fantastic and just watched it disappear

00:45:39into the distance.

00:45:40But, you know, we managed where we were.

00:45:41Got the same again now.

00:45:43So, yeah, to be honest, I was listening to Tom's strategy

00:45:46and that's exactly what we thought.

00:45:47We used the medium.

00:45:48We know everyone else is doing it on a medium around us

00:45:50and we'll keep the soft tyre back, maybe for Race 2,

00:45:52but we can't do that now, so we'll have it in Race 3.

00:45:54But how much is that playing into your hands?

00:45:55Because, as you say, you would be effectively

00:45:57running the same strategy as Tom,

00:45:59but you'll have the additional information

00:46:01from your fellow drivers

00:46:03about what the soft tyre is going to do

00:46:05and, more importantly, what you can do with that soft tyre.

00:46:07Well, ultimately, you know,

00:46:08DC has gone and done the R&D for us.

00:46:10Whatever that car had on it, we can't, you know...

00:46:12I mean, Ash obviously managed it,

00:46:13but I think when you're at the front

00:46:15and you're not having to really overly attack too hard,

00:46:17he was probably able to be a bit kinder to that left front.

00:46:19Dan was obviously trying to keep Tom behind

00:46:21and put the chase on Ash.

00:46:23So, ultimately, he has taken the pill.

00:46:26Hopefully, we can all learn from it.

00:46:27Obviously, we've got the data from Ash's car

00:46:28for Race 3 as well.

00:46:29Let's have to learn and see what we can do.

00:46:31Off you go to the podium.

00:46:32Spray some champagne.

00:46:33And back to you, Steve, for a moment.

00:46:36Yeah, and the podium is right behind us here,

00:46:38so we'll see the celebrations.

00:46:40Lunch break being taken here now

00:46:42in the glorious sunshine of Donington Park,

00:46:44so we couldn't resist coming out and enjoying it as well.

00:46:46The racing will resume with the Porsche Carrera Cup

00:46:50at about 1.30,

00:46:51with the second touring car race of the day at 2.30.

00:46:55But what a start to the season.

00:46:56We got your thoughts during the course of commentary.

00:46:58Overall impression from you, Jay?

00:47:00Yeah, it was...

00:47:02It was scrappy, you know.

00:47:04First race of the season,

00:47:05you think most people want to bag some points,

00:47:06but actually, okay,

00:47:07the front lot sort of got away a little bit,

00:47:09but from the back onwards, it was scrappy.

00:47:11Doors out, tyre stacks going everywhere.

00:47:13It was...

00:47:14We're back in British touring car racing,

00:47:16and I love to see it.

00:47:17And we're back with one of those classic Sutton-Ingram battles.

00:47:21Is it going to be a Sutton-Ingram season?

00:47:23I think they will both be involved.

00:47:26Do you want my real thoughts?

00:47:27I think that if I wasn't Team Virtue,

00:47:31then I'm going to be worried

00:47:32because that car looks brilliant.

00:47:34I mean, even the Nappa car on the soft tyre,

00:47:37it looked like it was over-gripped.

00:47:38It was bouncing around a little bit down the cranes as well.

00:47:41So it'll be interesting to see how the Hyundai goes on the soft tyre.

00:47:45But I think there's a lot to take from that,

00:47:47and it looked like Ingram was just steady away.

00:47:49I think he could have won that,

00:47:50except for the safety car, maybe.

00:47:52Yeah, and he and I have had a nice Team Virtue,

00:47:56a solid, composed pre-season, haven't they?

00:47:59Yeah, everything looks...

00:48:00Just the way that Tom Ingram walks around, speaks to the press,

00:48:05I just think he knows what he's got,

00:48:07and it'll be a little bit of a worry, I think, for everyone else

00:48:11because that free practice time now that he did

00:48:14looks a bit like, wow, they're super quick.

00:48:16But people will get back on terms,

00:48:17but I think Ingram's going to have a great weekend

00:48:19unless something weird happens,

00:48:20which it usually does because it's touring cars.

00:48:22Was it a surprise to you that Tom Ingram

00:48:24didn't put a bigger challenge on Ash Sutton,

00:48:27or was that one of the great defensive drives?

00:48:29It was a great defensive drive,

00:48:30but also Tom knows that points in Race 1 are very, very important

00:48:34and he knows how fiery Ash can get when he's under attack.

00:48:38It wasn't worth risking a non-finish.

00:48:40For me, the interesting thing came out of it was the tyres,

00:48:43because the soft tyre is the quicker tyre,

00:48:45but you can't use it because you've got to manage it.

00:48:48So that brings its speed back to the same speed as the medium tyre.

00:48:52So I think we're going to see quite a lot of people

00:48:53leave the soft tyre till the end and just make the best of it.

00:48:57But it certainly shows that there's no real disadvantage

00:49:00over the race distance, but being on the medium.

00:49:03So you're saying that the soft tyre is particularly fragile.

00:49:07Was that the problem for Dan Camish?

00:49:09I think Camish's problem started so early in the race,

00:49:12it's more likely that he just cut a tyre

00:49:14either onto debris or on a kerb or something,

00:49:17because to get a puncture, that wasn't just degradation,

00:49:20he got a puncture.

00:49:21So I think that was different,

00:49:22but we heard Ash saying how much he had to manage

00:49:25right from the word go, the pace of the tyre.

00:49:28Well, that just brought the advantage

00:49:29back to the same speed as the medium.

00:49:31So actually, the medium is probably the better tyre to be on.

00:49:34Jake Hill, the defending champion, had to battle.

00:49:36Where do you think BMW are?

00:49:38I think they feel a little bit like they're maybe on the back foot

00:49:41ever so slightly, but we know with Jake,

00:49:44he's going to push forward and work very hard.

00:49:45I think the thing they're struggling with at the moment

00:49:47is they're slightly on the back foot,

00:49:49but they don't have a lead driver to help Jake as such.

00:49:52Jake's on his own.

00:49:53They're really feeling the loss of Colin Turkington

00:49:55and their technical debriefs and bringing the car forward.

00:49:58But he was in there, in the mix, scored some points,

00:50:00and it's a long season.

00:50:01So I think Jake now has got a different mindset

00:50:03and it's point scoring.

00:50:05And I think he'll think tactically today

00:50:07rather than sort of all guns blazing.

00:50:10Aidan Moffat was impressive.

00:50:11He climbed up the grid finish, what, eighth, ninth?

00:50:14Yeah, Aidan's always very good on a Sunday.

00:50:17He takes a little while to warm up.

00:50:18That's all that counts, isn't it?

00:50:19Yeah, exactly.

00:50:20He's brilliant.

00:50:21He's scrappy.

00:50:22He's good in the pack.

00:50:23He knows how to move forward.

00:50:24He's been here for a very long time now,

00:50:26even though he's still quite young.

00:50:27He knows how to work the system, and he's moving forward,

00:50:29and I'm sure he's thought of it in a three-race basis

00:50:32rather than just the first race today.

00:50:34He's made some progress,

00:50:35and now it's all about scoring the points

00:50:37for the remainder of the afternoon.

00:50:39Okay, I think David Anderson is standing by

00:50:41in the commentary box with a few thoughts.

00:50:43David, try to sum up where we are for race two

00:50:45in terms of tyre choice

00:50:47and the top three tyre choice in particular.

00:50:51So the top three from that first race

00:50:53now have to go on the hardest available tyre.

00:50:55So they're going to be on the medium,

00:50:57which is what Tom Ingram was running in that race.

00:50:59So in terms of his car, there's no real change.

00:51:01He knows what that's going to feel like.

00:51:03Now those that are outside the top three

00:51:06can decide if they want to use the soft in the second race,

00:51:08which might give them an advantage,

00:51:10or they can keep that to the very end of the day

00:51:12for that reverse grid race.

00:51:13But the tyre choice is now going to be down to the teams.

00:51:16The only exception being the top three.

00:51:18The regulations dictate what they're going to use.

00:51:20Just going back to one or two other thoughts

00:51:22at the end of race one,

00:51:23I agree with what Jade was saying about Aidan Moffat.

00:51:25That was a really good drive.

00:51:26So was Josh Cook, I reckon.

00:51:27Despite all the damage that car had,

00:51:29to still be seventh, that was quite something.

00:51:31And the other one, Dan Camish, eighth.

00:51:33And that was with a pit stop.

00:51:34I know he was helped a bit by the safety car

00:51:36bunching them up,

00:51:37but he still had to get through an awful lot of cars

00:51:40when he rejoined.

00:51:41And eighth after that was a very, very good drive indeed.

00:51:44David, thank you.

00:51:45Yeah, poor old Josh Cook

00:51:46just got bullied all the way around, didn't he?

00:51:48Yeah, I mean, this is the thing about the whole tyre stacks.

00:51:51Initially, he got contact from Tom,

00:51:53created a drift,

00:51:54which he was more than capable of catching,

00:51:56but he then got clumped into that tyre stack,

00:51:58which is always the argument from drivers

00:52:00is they cause damage.

00:52:01If that hadn't have been there,

00:52:02he'd have just carried on as normal.

00:52:03But it looked like he was then nursing the car,

00:52:05had to fight Doble quite a lot.

00:52:07So as David said, you know,

00:52:09finishing in that P7 was quite a good result,

00:52:11all things considered for Josh.

00:52:12Yeah, up behind us,

00:52:13Tom Ingram has just climbed the podium.

00:52:17Tremendously popular here at Donington, of course.

00:52:19He took two wins here in the opening round last year

00:52:22in very, very contrasting conditions.

00:52:24Thoughts on that?

00:52:25Charles Rainford was going well for a while.

00:52:27Yeah, he was, wasn't he?

00:52:28And then he had a little misstep.

00:52:30We don't actually know what happened,

00:52:31but he ran really wide at the top of Coppice there,

00:52:33which was a shame.

00:52:34I've got to say, though, BMW,

00:52:36I mean, I'd be really happy

00:52:38with what those cars looked like race pace-wise.

00:52:40And what are they going to go like when they're on the soft?

00:52:43I think that is going to be an absolute rocket ship.

00:52:45So I think Jake Hill could come away

00:52:47with some good points today.

00:52:48But Rainford, a real shame

00:52:50because he has looked brilliant for a rookie this weekend.

00:52:53Okay, National Anthem playing behind us.

00:52:55Let's go swiftly to Louise with Jake Hill.

00:53:00So, Jake, P4, I'm thinking you'll take that one.

00:53:03That was a good recover, wasn't it?

00:53:05Absolutely, you know, I mean, it was a fantastic result.

00:53:07We've made great progress with the car overnight

00:53:09and found a bit of pace.

00:53:11Obviously, we got lucky with a couple of people

00:53:12having some incidents in front.

00:53:14Feel sorry for Josh.

00:53:15You know, he got taken out there midway through the race.

00:53:18But, yeah, happy with our performance

00:53:20and on to the next one.

00:53:21Well, talking of the next one,

00:53:22obviously, the top three finishers

00:53:24are going to have to start on the harder of the two compounds

00:53:26that we have available,

00:53:28which leaves you the option of bolting on the softer

00:53:30and hopefully making hay while the sun is shining.

00:53:34So presumably that's the plan, is it?

00:53:36Or is it too early to say?

00:53:37Yeah, it's got to be.

00:53:38You know, we've got to just go for the softs now.

00:53:39As you say, we're going to be the first car on the softs.

00:53:42Cars seem to be performing quite well,

00:53:43so we've got to maximise the chance whilst we have it.

00:53:46You don't know what's going to happen for race three

00:53:48in terms of where we're going to be drawn on the grid.

00:53:52And we have this chance now,

00:53:53so we've got to try and finish on the podium.

00:53:55We did see a few drivers in that race,

00:53:57obviously in different cars,

00:53:58but having a bit of an issue with the soft tyre.

00:54:00Do you have enough data available to you

00:54:01at this early stage in the season and on a warm day

00:54:04to know what the soft's going to be like

00:54:05in terms of its durability?

00:54:07This is a slightly uncharted territory for us,

00:54:10but our car naturally uses its tyres a little bit nicer

00:54:14compared to the front-wheel-drive cars.

00:54:16It's really interesting with this new rule change,

00:54:18the cars being lighter.

00:54:19We're seeing a bit more of a difference of tyres going off again,

00:54:22which doesn't make sense because the cars are lighter.

00:54:25So, yeah, we found the front-wheel-drive cars

00:54:27coming to me quite a lot at the end of the race.

00:54:29And hopefully we can look after our tyres

00:54:32and that'll be the same in the next one.

00:54:33See you out there.

00:54:36Solid start from Jake Hill.

00:54:38Nothing wrong with Louise's questions,

00:54:40but we'll find out a lot more from Jake Hill

00:54:42in a few minutes' time

00:54:43as he answers your viewers' questions

00:54:46in our new feature, Ask Me Anything.

00:54:48So, more on Jake Hill in a few minutes' time.

00:54:50Lunch break continues here at Donington.

00:54:55We've got a lunch break continuing.

00:54:57Live racing returns at 1.30 with the Porsche Carrera Cup

00:55:00and our second British Touring Car Championship race,

00:55:02that'll be at 2.30,

00:55:04having just seen Ash Sutton's opening victory of the season

00:55:07holding off the challenge of Tom Ingram.

00:55:09Right, all that's to come,

00:55:10but right now our new feature, Ask Me Anything.

00:55:13This is Jake Hill answering viewers' questions,

00:55:16all the questions we didn't think to ask

00:55:18or didn't dare ask.

00:55:20Let's find out a bit more about Jake Hill.

00:55:31I'm Jake Hill and this is Ask Me Anything.

00:55:34Outside of becoming champion,

00:55:36congrats by the way, cheers,

00:55:38what's the most memorable moment in your career?

00:55:41Very good question.

00:55:43I think the most memorable moment outside of 2024

00:55:47when I won the championship

00:55:48would have to be actually my first win,

00:55:51which was in 2019 at Knock Hill,

00:55:54and it was a circuit that always eluded me.

00:55:56I'd never won there in any of my junior categories

00:56:00and I managed to finally do it

00:56:02and it was my first touring car win at Knock Hill

00:56:04and that one was a really, really special one,

00:56:07especially as I hadn't been enjoying touring cars too much

00:56:10in the couple of years prior,

00:56:11but 2019 I was loving it.

00:56:13I was with the right team, the right people

00:56:15and it just came at the right time.

00:56:17So for me, that is a special moment.

00:56:19What kind of music do you like and are you a good singer?

00:56:24Well, on the singing side,

00:56:25my granddad was actually a very famous singer,

00:56:28Ronnie Hilton,

00:56:29a very famous singer in the 50s and 60s

00:56:33and he actually wrote a couple of songs for Elvis Presley.

00:56:37So singing, give me a couple of ciders

00:56:40and apparently I'm not bad,

00:56:42but I won't be the judge of that.

00:56:45And what kind of music do I like?

00:56:47Typically, I'm very much a hip hop person.

00:56:49I love my rap and R&B, that's just what I'm into.

00:56:52So yeah, that's my music taste.

00:56:54How bad was the hangover after you won the title at Brands Hatch?

00:57:00I don't remember much past 1, 2 a.m.

00:57:04and I believe it went on to about 6 in the morning.

00:57:08And when I came to be interviewed by Lou at 9 in the morning,

00:57:13I think it was, I was in a rather bad state, shall we say,

00:57:17and I needed a lot of Lucas aid

00:57:19to try and get me through that interview the next morning.

00:57:21Why we have that interview the next morning, I don't know,

00:57:24but I think it's purely for the comedy factor

00:57:27and people who just love seeing us suffer.

00:57:29So I think that's why I do it.

00:57:31But I was pretty bad, I won't lie.

00:57:33That's in my top two of hangovers, I reckon.

00:57:36Who is your most famous person in your phone book?

00:57:40That's a very interesting one.

00:57:42It would probably be Jimmy Johnson,

00:57:44the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.

00:57:48Jimmy was a really nice bloke to me

00:57:51and he actually gave me some advice of how to win a championship

00:57:54and I thought, well, given he's won seven NASCAR titles,

00:57:57probably a good bloke to listen to.

00:57:59So, yeah, Jimmy Johnson, I would say,

00:58:01is probably the most famous person in my phone book.

00:58:03If you could make one change in BTCC, what would it be?

00:58:08Easy one for me, bring back a night race.

00:58:11That's what I would love to see.

00:58:14What is your go-to curry?

00:58:17I'm sorry to break it to you folks, I'm quite boring.

00:58:20I'm a lamb korma type of person with pilau rice and a peshawari naan.

00:58:25I love it, but slightly boring, I do admit,

00:58:29but I'm just not very good with spices.

00:58:31I'm very sorry about that.

00:58:32Are you a good dancer?

00:58:34Not particularly.

00:58:36Probably a better singer than a dancer, I would say.

00:58:39I think I'd leave the dancing to my team-mate,

00:58:41given he finished second in European dancing.

00:58:45Champions, the championship, so I've heard.

00:58:50Who is your best friend in the paddock?

00:58:52That is actually a really nice question.

00:58:58I've never been asked that one before.

00:59:00Do you know what?

00:59:01I became such good friends with Adam Morgan over the last couple of years,

00:59:07since we've been team-mates together at West Surrey.

00:59:11Adam is probably the bloke I get on with most in the paddock

00:59:17and one that I really enjoy spending time with and having a laugh with.

00:59:21So, for me, it's Adam Morgan.

00:59:23What is your holy trinity of touring car racing from any era or series?

00:59:29For me, my favourite touring car series and era would have to be

00:59:36I'm a huge Japanese fanboy. I love the car culture out there.

00:59:40So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

00:59:45That is all the questions from me.

00:59:47Amazing. Thank you, guys.

00:59:51He was going quite well until he nominated the Japanese Touring Car Championship

00:59:55at the end of the day.

00:59:56So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:00That is all the questions from me.

01:00:02So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:05So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:07So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:09So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:11So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:13So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:15So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:17So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:19So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:21So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:23So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:25So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:27So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:29So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:31So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:33So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:35So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:37So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:39So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:41So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:43So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:45So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:47So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:49So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:51So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:53So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:55So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:57So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:00:59So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:01So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:03So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:05So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:07So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:09So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:11So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:13So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:15So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:17So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:19So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:21So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:23So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:25So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:27So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:29So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:31So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:33So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:35So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:37So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:39So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:41So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:43So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:45So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:47So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:49So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:51So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:53So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:55So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:57So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:01:59So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:01So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:03So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:05So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:07So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:09So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:11So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:13So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:15So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:17So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:19So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:21So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:23So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:25So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:27So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:29So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:31So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:33So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:35So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:37So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:39So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:41So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:43So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:45So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:47So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:49So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:51So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:53So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:55So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:57So, for me, it's the Japanese JTCC era of the 90s.

01:02:59It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:01It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:03It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:05It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:07It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:09It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:11It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:13It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:15It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:17It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:19It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:21It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:23It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:25It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:27It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:29It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:31It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:33It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:35It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:37It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:39It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:41It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:43It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:45It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:47It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:49It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:51It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:53It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:55It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:57It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:03:59It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:01It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:03It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:05It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:07It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:09It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:11It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:13It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:15It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:17It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:19It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:21It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:23It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:25It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:27It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:29It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:31It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:33It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:35It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:37It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:39It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:41It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:43It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:45It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:47It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:49It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:51It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:53It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:55It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:57It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:04:59It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:05:01It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:05:03It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:05:05It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:05:07It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:05:09It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:05:11It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:05:13It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:05:15It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:05:17It's been a strange build-up, even this week.

01:05:19It re-energises you.

01:05:21It re-energises you.

01:05:23It re-energises you.

01:05:25It re-energises you.

01:05:27It re-energises you.

01:05:29It re-energises you.

01:05:31It re-energises you.

01:05:33It re-energises you.

01:05:35It re-energises you.

01:05:37It re-energises you.

01:05:39It re-energises you.

01:05:41It re-energises you.

01:05:43It re-energises you.

01:05:45It re-energises you.

01:05:47It re-energises you.

01:05:49It re-energises you.

01:05:51It re-energises you.

01:05:53It re-energises you.

01:05:55It re-energises you.

01:05:57It re-energises you.

01:05:59It re-energises you.

01:06:01It re-energises you.

01:06:03It re-energises you.

01:06:05It re-energises you.

01:06:07It re-energises you.

01:06:09It re-energises you.

01:06:11It re-energises you.

01:06:13It re-energises you.

01:06:15It re-energises you.

01:06:17It re-energises you.

01:06:19It re-energises you.

01:06:21It re-energises you.

01:06:23It re-energises you.

01:06:25It re-energises you.

01:06:27It re-energises you.

01:06:29It re-energises you.

01:06:31It re-energises you.

01:06:33It re-energises you.

01:06:35It re-energises you.

01:06:37It re-energises you.

01:06:39It re-energises you.

01:06:41It re-energises you.

01:06:43It re-energises you.

01:06:45It re-energises you.

01:06:47It re-energises you.

01:06:49It re-energises you.

01:06:51It re-energises you.

01:06:53It re-energises you.

01:06:55It re-energises you.

01:06:57It re-energises you.

01:06:59It re-energises you.

01:07:01It re-energises you.

01:07:03It re-energises you.

01:07:05It re-energises you.

01:07:07It re-energises you.

01:07:09It re-energises you.

01:07:11It re-energises you.

01:07:13It re-energises you.

01:07:15It re-energises you.

01:07:17It re-energises you.

01:07:19It re-energises you.

01:07:21It re-energises you.

01:07:23It re-energises you.

01:07:25It re-energises you.

01:07:27It re-energises you.

01:07:29It re-energises you.

01:07:31It re-energises you.

01:07:33It re-energises you.

01:07:35It re-energises you.

01:07:37It re-energises you.

01:07:39It re-energises you.

01:07:41It re-energises you.

01:07:43It re-energises you.

01:07:45It re-energises you.

01:07:47It re-energises you.

01:07:49It re-energises you.

01:07:51It re-energises you.

01:07:53It re-energises you.

01:07:55It re-energises you.

01:07:57It re-energises you.

01:07:59It re-energises you.

01:08:01It re-energises you.

01:08:03It re-energises you.

01:08:05It re-energises you.

01:08:07Before the break, I asked how many races did Gordon Shedden win when he won the championship in 2015?

01:08:13The answer, just three.

01:08:15Well done to all of you that got it right.

01:08:21Also before the break, we saw the fans in the lunch break pit lane walk about,

01:08:25getting close to the drivers.

01:08:27Well, they've been getting close to Louise and Paul as well.

01:08:31Yeah, thank you, Steve.

01:08:33I'm down in the pit lane with the fans and with the fans' favourite, Paul O'Neill.

01:08:36So I can't promise we're going to get him back again.

01:08:38But this is, I love this about the BTCC.

01:08:42It's the accessibility that it has for the fans.

01:08:44It's great, isn't it?

01:08:45Yeah, massive.

01:08:46And that's why I become a driver.

01:08:47You know, I watch it on the other side of the fence,

01:08:49like these young lads and girls here and everyone enjoying the sport.

01:08:52It's brilliant.

01:08:53And just a shout out to Steve Ryder for mentioning my mum, Joan, in the studio.

01:08:56She's going to love that.

01:08:57He's so made up about that, I can't tell you, Steve.

01:08:59Let's dive in and grab a word with Josh Cook.

01:09:01So the fans are here for its autograph time.

01:09:04Cookie, you were getting somewhat beaten up in that first race, weren't you?

01:09:08Hang on, I just need to sign this for Paul.

01:09:10I think he's been waiting for a while.

01:09:13Yeah, it was a little bit.

01:09:14I mean, it was only really the one hit into the chicane that did it.

01:09:20And then folded my exhaust over, so lost a lot of power.

01:09:23And it was a bit of a sitting duck.

01:09:24So not ideal, but could have been a lot worse.

01:09:26Nice fans visiting you today.

01:09:28Of course.

01:09:29I mean, I can't remember the first round where we've had this sort of weather

01:09:31and this many people here.

01:09:32So, yeah, it's good.

01:09:33I'm going to catch Paul out now, because he's been cuddling women in the pit lane.

01:09:37Paul, over to you.

01:09:38Over to you, Paul.

01:09:39Over to me.

01:09:40This is very nice.

01:09:41Oh, we're just taking a quick picture.

01:09:42This is what the fans are all about.

01:09:43Say cheese.

01:09:44You were just talking about when I was back in the touring cars back in the day.

01:09:47But why are you still here?

01:09:49And why are you queuing up for Josh Cook?

01:09:51Just think he's a great driver.

01:09:52He's done really well today.

01:09:54So, yeah.

01:09:55How good is this BTCC paddock?

01:09:57It's all about the fans, isn't it?

01:09:58It's all about getting to...

01:09:59You won't be able to meet Lewis Hamilton and all these people, would you?

01:10:02No, it's amazing.

01:10:03I've been following touring cars for ages.

01:10:05My boyfriend got me into it.

01:10:06And I just absolutely adore it.

01:10:08I think it's fantastic.

01:10:09Amazing.

01:10:10So do we.

01:10:11And, Louise, we're going to go and talk to some other people, aren't we?

01:10:12Well, yeah.

01:10:14As you say, you might not be able to meet Lewis Hamilton in a Formula 1 paddock.

01:10:19But we can get to meet his brother, because obviously Nick is...

01:10:23Paul's taking more photos.

01:10:25It's all right, Paul.

01:10:26I'm fine, mate.

01:10:27I'll carry on.

01:10:28Yeah, we can get to meet his mother...

01:10:29Mother?

01:10:30Brother.

01:10:31Nick Hamilton, who is back with us in the BTCC this year.

01:10:35So nice to be back.

01:10:36And we've been talking about the fact that this is one of the lovely aspects of touring cars,

01:10:39is getting to meet the fans.

01:10:41What's the response been from people, like, seeing you back again?

01:10:44It's been overwhelming, to be honest.

01:10:46I can't believe how many people are here.

01:10:48People are just so grateful to see me back on the grid.

01:10:51The support has been incredible.

01:10:52So, yeah, I'm so grateful.

01:10:53How's it been for you, being back in the car and back on the grid?

01:10:56Yeah, I mean, it's taken me a while to get back up to speed.

01:10:59It's been pretty much two years.

01:11:01But, yeah, I'm enjoying it.

01:11:02It's hot today, which is good.

01:11:04Hard for the cars to keep them cool.

01:11:05But, yeah, I'm getting used to it.

01:11:07And, you know, I've done it enough now.

01:11:09I should know what I'm doing.

01:11:10But, yeah, we'll see how we go in race two.

01:11:12It's hard for everybody physically out in these cars.

01:11:14You must have had to double up on the training, quadruple up on the training

01:11:17to get yourself fit enough, have you?

01:11:19Yeah, absolutely.

01:11:20I work hard, always.

01:11:21I've got to work harder than most to make sure my legs are physically strong

01:11:24to be able to compete.

01:11:26But, yeah, I'm feeling pretty fit and pretty strong.

01:11:28I mean, I don't know what everyone else does training-wise,

01:11:30but I know what works for me and I know what works for my body.

01:11:32We also have to be careful because otherwise you just damage the pelvis

01:11:35and ribs and stuff.

01:11:36So, you know, I know what works.

01:11:38I'm feeling pretty fit, so I'm pretty happy.

01:11:40Lovely having you back with us.

01:11:41See you later.

01:11:42Enjoy the next race.

01:11:43Where's Paul?

01:11:44He's out there somewhere.

01:11:45I'm over here.

01:11:46How's it going?

01:11:47Look at all these fans.

01:11:48You've just turned up at the wrong time, honestly, haven't you?

01:11:50How amazing is it to see Nick out here driving?

01:11:52Amazing.

01:11:53Absolutely amazing.

01:11:54Fantastic.

01:11:55Yeah, beautiful weather.

01:11:56Beautiful day.

01:11:57Fantastic driving.

01:11:58Were you here last year when it was, like, underwater by 17 foot?

01:12:01No, but we were here the year before.

01:12:03Well, I'm sure it's going to be an amazing next Gold Race.

01:12:07Who's going to win the next one?

01:12:08Oh, I don't know.

01:12:10That's a bit like me when I'm doing the punditry stuff.

01:12:13Anyway, have a lovely day.

01:12:14Great to see you.

01:12:15Lou, everyone is mad for it, aren't they?

01:12:17Well, why would you not be?

01:12:19Here's another lad it's worth grabbing a word with.

01:12:21Sorry, Max, we're throwing this one at you.

01:12:25Your first autograph signing session at British Touring Cars.

01:12:29How does this feel, this step up?

01:12:30And it is a big step up into touring cars, isn't it?

01:12:33Yeah, it is.

01:12:34I just can't believe how many people are interested in my scribble.

01:12:37Did you practice it ahead of the weekend?

01:12:40No, I didn't.

01:12:41My signature is terrible.

01:12:42It's my initials and race number.

01:12:43It's not fancy at all.

01:12:45So quite easy to copy, then.

01:12:46Do you know some people used to get racing drivers, I know,

01:12:49used to get other people to do it for you.

01:12:51So I'm glad that you're all doing your own.

01:12:53How was your entree?

01:12:54How was race one for you?

01:12:55Yeah, it was really good.

01:12:56We scored points in our first race, made up eight places.

01:12:58So I'm quite happy with that.

01:13:00I'm not surprised.

01:13:01I'd be over the moon with that, I think.

01:13:03Yeah, we showed better pace in testing, I keep saying.

01:13:05But yeah, can't really complain.

01:13:07Scored points, so we go from there.

01:13:09Good stuff.

01:13:10Be very happy with it.

01:13:11Well, where's Paul?

01:13:12Oh, there's Paul.

01:13:13I'm usually everywhere.

01:13:14I was everywhere.

01:13:15Who are you pointing at?

01:13:16I'm pointing at Dexter down here.

01:13:17Dexter.

01:13:18I can't understand what he says.

01:13:19Dexter, how are you, lad?

01:13:20You're looking hench, mate.

01:13:22You been in the gym?

01:13:23I'm solid, mate.

01:13:24Solid.

01:13:25How is it to be back?

01:13:26This place is real good track, isn't it?

01:13:28And should show off the car.

01:13:30Yeah, I think so.

01:13:31I mean, we went well midday.

01:13:32We struggled a little bit yesterday.

01:13:34We didn't get out in qualifying.

01:13:35Just a little sensor failure.

01:13:37But in race one, we pretty strong,

01:13:39came through the grid to 11th.

01:13:40So hopefully we can carry that into the next race.

01:13:42Get the softs on?

01:13:43Maybe.

01:13:44Maybe.

01:13:45Not telling us much, are you?

01:13:46Maybe.

01:13:47I don't know.

01:13:48To be honest, I think most people down in the grid

01:13:49in that area are probably going to put them on.

01:13:51But we'll wait and see.

01:13:52Top man, thank you for that live interview.

01:13:54That was lovely.

01:13:55Thank you, Dexter.

01:13:56Can't understand what he says.

01:13:57Pork kettle, mate.

01:13:58Very true.

01:14:00Great having you down here with us.

01:14:01I hope you've all enjoyed your little trip down the pit lane.

01:14:04Back to you now, Steve.

01:14:06It's only because the sun's shining.

01:14:07But that could have gone a lot worse, couldn't it?

01:14:09Especially with anything Paul involved,

01:14:10could always go very badly.

01:14:12But that was good.

01:14:13And getting involved with the fans

01:14:14and getting some feedback from them is always good.

01:14:16Yeah, and great to hear from Max.

01:14:17Because we didn't mention straight after the race.

01:14:20I mean, to score points out there

01:14:21in your touring car debut is quite something.

01:14:24Absolutely.

01:14:25And because he started slightly further back as well,

01:14:27he's had to work for those points.

01:14:28He didn't start in that position and finish there.

01:14:30He moved forward.

01:14:31And he said he was a bit quicker in testing.

01:14:33But we know with pre-season testing,

01:14:35a lot of people are doing different things.

01:14:36We don't know what strategy they were going with.

01:14:38But there's also the pressure of a weekend.

01:14:40When you're here as a rookie

01:14:41and you see the crowds and you see the TV around,

01:14:44there's an added pressure

01:14:45that the veterans in the Championship now are used to.

01:14:48But those new kids on the block

01:14:49are getting used to it as they're doing it.

01:14:51But yeah, a really good opening race for Max.

01:14:53Yeah.

01:14:54OK, we will have live racing.

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