Written by Benjamin Crundwell, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
In the last two decades, many racing series have experienced the infamous switch of big ICEs to smaller engines working with a battery, in the form of a hybrid system. This switch has been huge for the innovation of cleaner racing, however unpopular with the fans. BTCC has found a solution to satisfy both the environment and the petrol head.
Last week, the BTCC announced they would be the first-ever racing series to run on 100% sustainable fuels, as they will drop the hybrid system from 2025 onwards.
Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel has explored the idea of sustainable fuels in the past, having campaigned for the “Race Without a Trace”, by driving historic cars such as the Williams FW14B and a McLaren MP4/8 on sustainable fuels.
The other leader in promoting e-fuels is Formula One, who recently announced their decision to run all cars on sustainable fuels from 2026.
As F1 had already announced their intention to use e-fuels, it begs the question of what is so significant about BTCC following the direction.
Formula One engines will continue to be hybrid, as the engines work in tandem with a battery capable of generating almost 500 bhp, however, the Touring Cars’ power units will continue to be Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs).
The BTCC (British Touring Car Championship) started using hybrid engines six years ago, in a bid to continue the push for sustainable racing. They optimised the system with a push-to-pass mode, which constantly influenced the racing.
This aided overtaking and acted as a natural balance of performance, as drivers who won previous races would receive less push-to-pass than drivers who were further down the field.
TOCA (The BTCC organiser) do not plan on dropping the push-to-pass system, however, the additional boost will be coming from the turbo instead. Additionally, there will no longer be notification of the system being used on the timing screen, to prevent opposing teams reacting too fast.
However, religious BTCC fans do not need to be worried, as this information will still be on the ITV television graphics, and a light will show on the side of the car when the system is in use.
The sustainable fuel BTCC intends to use is Hiperflo ECO102 R100 which is 100% fossil fuel free, composed from biological and synthetic sources. Alan Gow (CEO of BTCC) said the programme has been “going on for three years”, including a large amount of testing over recent months. This has all been in a bid to maximise the fuel's performance and efficiency.
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