Chilton’s Donington View — BTCC 2026 Begins

The 2026 British Touring Car Championship season begins this weekend at Donington Park — one of the UK’s most established circuits and a regular opener for the series.

For Tom Chilton, Commercial Director at Birch and adriver for Team VERTU, it’s a circuit that quickly reveals where you stand.

“It’s a place where you find out very quickly if thecar is right,” Chilton says. “If it’s not stable, if it’s moving around,you’ll see it straight away.”

‍To BTCC and Beyond!

BTCC is one of the UK’s longest-running and most competitive racing championships, built around closely matched touring cars racing across short-format races each weekend.

The margins are small. The racing is close. And consistency across a full season matters more than occasional standout results.

Chilton has been part of that environment for more than two decades, with over 500 race starts and multiple race wins. That experience shapes how he approaches a season — and why the opening weekend carries more weight than it might appear.

‍Team VERTU — The Benchmark Team

Chilton competes for Birch Automotive -backed Team VERTU, the EXCELR8-run Hyundai squad that enters 2026 as the reigning champion.

Last season, team-mate Tom Ingram secured the Drivers’title, while the team claimed the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ crown. It was a campaign built on consistency — scoring points across every round rather than relying on isolated podium results.

Chilton played a key role in that success, delivering six podium finishes.

Why Donington Matters

Donington Park’s National layout is short, fast and unforgiving.

The opening section — Craner Curves into the Old Hairpin— immediately exposes instability. If the car isn’t settled, you lose time through the entire lap.

That’s why experience counts here.

Chilton has won races at two of the last three BTCC season openers at Donington, underlining how important confidence in the car is at this circuit.

“Confidence is everything at Donington,” he says. “If you trust the car, you can commit. If you don’t, you’re always slightly holding back.”

That theme runs through much of Chilton’s recent commentary, including his reflections on maintaining confidence and clarity under pressure.

‍A Different Kind of Opening Weekend

The 2026 season introduces a revised format.

Instead of atraditional qualifying session, a Saturday ‘Race for Pole’ will set the grid for Sunday’s first race. With only one practice session beforehand, teams have far less time to prepare.

That changes the emphasis.

“You’ve got to be ready straight away,” Chilton explains.“There’s no time to build into the weekend. You need the car in the right placefrom the first lap.”

It also puts more focus on race performance rather than one-lap pace.

A car that is predictable, stable and consistent over a run becomes more valuable than one that is quick for a single lap.

Refinement Over the Winter

Team VERTU heads into the new season with a familiar approach.

The Hyundai i30 Fastback N was one of the most complete packages on the grid in 2025, and the winter focus has been on refining that rather than changing direction.

“We’ve taken a strong car and tried to improve the details,” Chilton says. “That’s where the gains are in BTCC.”

That approach has served the team well at Donington inthe past, where Chilton has consistently turned pace into results.

What Actually Matters This Weekend

The opening round rarely tells the full story of a season.

But it does provide the first clear signals.

How consistent the car is across a run.

How drivers manage tyres.

How quickly teams adapt to changing conditions.

Those are the details that carry forward.

“It’s about understanding where you are,” Chilton says. “Not just chasing a result, but getting a clear read on the car.”

From Track to Birch

At Birch, those same principles apply.

Preparation, consistency and understanding are what underpin performance — whether on track or in the management of high-value vehicles.

The connection is not theoretical.

It comes directly from experience.

Chilton’s long career in BTCC — combined with the team’s recent success — reflects a disciplined, process-led approach that is equally relevant away from the circuit.

A Circuit That Sets the Tone

Donington doesn’t decide the championship.

But it does remove uncertainty.

By the end of the weekend, teams will know whether their winter work has delivered what they expected — or where they need to improve.

For Chilton, that clarity is the objective.

“You want to come away knowing where you stand,”he says. “If you’ve done things properly, you’re in a good place. If not,you know what needs work.”

That’s the value of the first round.

Not the result.

But the understanding.