A new Saturday qualifying race format for the BTCC starting in 2026 has sparked a lively debate among hosts. While some see it as an exciting addition that could enhance the weekend experience, others express skepticism, viewing it as a potential money grab that complicates the racing schedule. The discussion covers concerns about the impact on drivers' budgets, the effectiveness of the current qualifying system, and the implications of a sprint race determining the Sunday grid. Listeners are encouraged to share their thoughts on this controversial change.
"...we have seen something like this implemented with F1, which we've already mentioned, and I do wonder whether they've got almost like a one-track mind..."
Formula 1 is a top-level car racing series where teams compete in fast cars on special tracks. It's famous for its exciting races and cutting-edge technology.
Formula 1 (F1) is the highest class of international auto racing for single-seater formula racing cars. It features a series of races known as Grands Prix, held on various circuits around the world, and is known for its advanced technology and high-speed competition.
"...there is a reason that we only have six sprint races throughout an F1 season."
Sprint races are shorter races in Formula 1 that happen on the same weekend as the main race. They give drivers a chance to compete for points and start positions in the main event.
Sprint races in Formula 1 are shorter races that take place on the same weekend as a Grand Prix. They are designed to add excitement and provide an additional opportunity for drivers to earn points and positions on the grid for the main race.
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The show cut we didn't know we need but apparently we all wanted. This is our take on the qualifying
news.
Hello and welcome back to the British Touring Car podcast. We are bringing you a 10 minutes
with today to discuss something we don't think needs discussing.
Well it is discussing, we just didn't need changing, we started early.
So yes, it was announced towards the end of October 24th to be specific that there will
be a Saturday qualifying race to set the group for the Sunday opener for the 2026 season
onwards as far as we understand. Now details are yet to be finalised, we must make a parent
but it does seem like the classification of this race could well set the opening grid
for the Sunday race.
Yes, my interpretation is that free practice will set groups for qualifying and then qualify
for a sprint race and the sprint race will then set the grid for race 1 on Sunday. That's
how I see it playing out.
Yes, interestingly Alan Gao has made the following statement. A qualifying race on Saturday
is another exciting introduction to the BTCC ahead of the 2026 season and promises to
be a hit amongst drivers, teams, fans and possibly more importantly stakeholders. The
addition of some short, sharp racing action on Saturday will certainly spice things up
ahead of our hugely popular three race Sunday format. I'm not sure I fully agree on that
but I'll count all these points in a minute and we'll provide a further great spectacle
to the weekend show for everyone.
Okay, so can I count to some of these?
Just a minute, we need two seconds. Now obviously we've seen a fairly new update to the qualifying
format in the last season or two where we now have the three session format to reduce
the numbers of cars on track at one time basically and I think it's worked really well.
Yeah, I've really enjoyed it.
It's been almost perfect I would say.
I would agree with you.
And they've done their little adaptations to how the grids are then formatted once you've
had Q1 and Q2 finalised which I think has worked well and it doesn't seem to be anything
wrong from my point of view.
I completely agree with you.
Let us know your thoughts down in the comments as well but...
Right, let's get into it.
If you want to improve Saturday for fans, pull it on normal television because you only
get qualifying on YouTube, you don't see any of the support races on Saturday, you
have got ITV 1s to 4, we do not need to see Minder for the 15th time put something on
the Saturday.
What if you missed it the first time round or the 14th time round?
Yeah, put it on normal telly, that will get people watching Saturday.
You don't need to start crowing more things and making fans pay more money to come and
see something at the track only.
So that's point number one.
Point number two, it does feel like a massive...
The cynic in me feels like it's a massive money grab to try and get fans to buy weekend
tickets because the Saturday is quieter because there isn't as much on the Saturday, I accept
that.
However, this does feel like a shameless money grab to get more people in over the weekend.
Next point, this is going to create 10 extra races throughout the season, qualifying, there
are lots of drivers that struggle to get 30 races.
We have seen this season the merry-go-round in full effect because of budget problems
throughout the season.
This is going to surely create more merry-go-rounds, which is not good for the sport.
I'm picking on someone like Dan Lloyd here and I apologise for doing so.
Here's a driver that is very open in the fact that he has struggled with a budget in
the past.
What is this going to have as an effect on him?
Now, I will say the teams have all unanimously voted in favour of this.
Teams and drivers?
Well, I would add teams and drivers as the season came to this decision along with...
But the course teams are going to vote for this because it means they can get more money
through the doors.
Yes.
If you're a napper, this sort of thing is great because it gives you even more exposure.
If you are a smaller team like Unlimited Motorsport, you're now going to require drivers
to bring a lot more sponsorship or money to the table to cope with these extra races.
What's my next point going to be?
Can I counter that point first of all?
You can, yep.
So what I would say is that having that extra, quote, race on the Saturday could also bring
more sponsorship opportunities for drivers and they could go and bring sponsors in for
bigger budgets to go, look, you're going to get even more coverage because we've got extra
running on the Saturday.
Which might not be televised.
If we are looking at a session format of having a free practice in the morning, a qualifying
set up, which we know is around about an hour, depending on red flags and regulations.
And then we're having another race on the Saturday followed by the three races on Sunday.
You can offer a more optimised and potential package for sponsors.
If it's televised.
Not necessarily even if it's televised, even if you've got sponsors coming to the track.
You're still going to have people there on the Saturday.
Yes.
There are people out there that will go to the Saturdays and would have been going to
the Saturdays if it weren't for this format.
Agreed.
So you will have more eyes on sponsors like that, which I would argue that could help.
I would argue if you want to maximise sponsors, take the premier Tin Top series off of ITV4
and stick it on ITV1.
To me, that is how you maximise it personally, more so than just sticking qualifying on YouTube
and having it tucked away on ITV4 between Hot Fuzz and Episodes of Colombo.
That is how you...
There's a better way of doing this because I also have a problem with the way it's going
to work is that I hate, and I hate doing F1 downward of this as well.
I hate the notion of a sprint race on the Saturday, setting the grid for race one on
a Sunday because anything can happen.
What happens if you get taken out by another driver?
That's your day ruined on the Saturday night already.
Now, we discussed this before coming on air.
You've rightly pointed out, well, the driver at F1 might receive a grip, and he...
Great.
That's not going to help the guys at the back of the grid, is it?
No, it's not.
No, it's not.
This is...
Motorsport is so predictable, which is why we love it, and this feels so novel and contrived.
I just don't see the appeal of it myself.
This takes away all the skill from quantifying, in my opinion.
We have seen something like this implemented with F1, which we've already mentioned, and
I do wonder whether they've got almost like a one-track mind looking at, go, look at this,
look at how this has changed things and stuff like that.
There is a reason that we only have six sprint races throughout an F1 season.
It is a fairly small percentage when you look at it.
The way it's done now, I don't mind it so much, it's half points, but correct me if
I'm wrong, it originally set the grid for...
It did.
Which is nonsense.
Which they have edited and adapted.
Which I think now works.
Which it does.
And we could see, it could very much well backfire on them in the fact that we could see the
sprint race be fairly dab and dry, because people don't want to go for the moves and
stuff like that.
Or you're going to see the other way, or somebody who's not in the championship who's
going to go, well, I've got nothing to do with them, I might as well chuck one in here.
And then, as I say, the risk and reward is too high.
It also very much depends on whether we're going to get points for this race on a Saturday
or whether it is singly just going to determine the grid for the first Sunday race.
Yeah.
If it's just a race, and it's just half points or a level of points, then that's fine.
But the way it's worded suggests it's going to have a bearing on the Sunday grid, and
I hate that idea.
Do you think it could almost replace the Winford Award that we have now?
Obviously, you have the points for qualifying positions.
Could we see more of a sprint race championship and a main championship?
I definitely, no, because I don't think the prestige is enough to be the sprint race championship
winner personally.
Yeah.
Obviously, we need to know what the exact details are, but the way it's in my head, which
is always the pessimistic group, I accept, I hate and loathe everything about what this
stands for.
And actually, the backlash from fans has been quite vociferous and quite similar.
A lot of people are asking, why was this needed?
Which then makes your cynical side wonder, why do all the teams hope for this?
It can only be money, surely.
Yeah.
Unfortunately, it is money that seems to rule motorsport nowadays, and it could well be
an opportunistic moment for them to gain more funds, whether that's more spectators
through the door on Saturday, or more sponsorships bringing people to the car.
You can bet your bottom dollar that this weekend ticket is going to go up.
Yes.
Yes.
Let us know your thoughts and feelings on it, because we really think it's a point forward
discussion, hence the short podcast on this, and whether you think there is a better format
that can be run.
We've obviously spoken about it before that the race day needs slightly adjusting and
slightly changing.
Completely agree.
I think they would have been better off looking at that side of things, rather than trying
to shake up a Saturday.
Yeah.
Race two needs dealing with in a way that isn't tyres.
My other thought is that they're looking to try and fill the Saturday more with another
touring car event then, to be able to push more of the support races onto a Sunday.
Because they can't fill the support slot.
To fill a Sunday support package.
I agree with you entirely.
Yeah, because why watch the legends when you can have another mini race?
Yeah.
So, let us know your thoughts and feelings, get them down in the comments below or on
audio platforms, if you're listening on there as well.
If you haven't done already, go and subscribe.
We're trying to get to 250 subscribers on YouTube by the end of the year.
We're not far off now, and we'll have plenty for you in the off season.
Bye for now.
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