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Why the BTCC has become less destructive

The British Touring Car Championship has a rough and tumble reputation, yet penalties are down almost a quarter this year compared to last. What's behind that fall, and has it had a detrimental effect on the series' entertainment value?

Matt Kew Sep 11, 2019, 1:54 PM

In most series that use it, push-to-pass is a system that allows a driver to thumb a button on their steering wheel to gain a brief power boost in a bid to overtake the car in front. Simple enough, if somewhat artificial. But it's a term that takes on a different meaning in the British Touring Car Championship. Here, it's the colloquial term for an unsubtle and rough overtake: release the brakes early, nudge the driver ahead to force them off line and then claim the position.

The BTCC has long faced criticism for its 'door-banging' driving standards, not least because it is relied upon to set an example to the lesser championships which support it, including Ginetta Junior which caters for drivers as young as 14. 'What example are they setting?' the sceptics ask, and purists bemoan the tin-tops' perceived heavy-handedness.

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Author Matt Kew

Matt Kew is Autosport’s F1 Editor, a role he has held since March 2022 following stints covering Formula E, Extreme E and the British Touring Car Championship.

Matt joined Autosport in 2018 to work predominantly on the magazine, but his relentless quoting of Alan Partridge meant office colleagues soon thought he would be better-suited to increased field work.

Needless to say, Matt had the last laugh when he won the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2019.

His interest in motorsport was sparked by regular trips to watch ASCAR crash around Rockingham’s banked oval.

Matt read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield - receiving first-class honours for his dissertation assessing the lack of female participation in top-tier motor racing.

He covered a wide variety of national race and rally meetings for Autosport as a freelancer before joining full-time. His best efforts to argue the merits of historic racing are undone by a questionable taste in music and James Bond actors.