The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) has made a surprising decision to drop hybrid power from the 2025 season onwards.
Instead, the series will aim to bolster its green credentials through the use of 100 percent sustainable race fuel by all competitors.
This follows a number of successful tests of fully sustainable, fossil-free fuel during the 2024 season.
The BTCC noted no disadvantages from using sustainable fuel when compared to drivers using standard race-grade petrol.
Chequered flag for hybrid tech
The BTCC became the first touring car competition in the world to introduce hybrid technology, after it was made compulsory for the 2022 season.
A Hybrid Energy Management system, developed by Cosworth Engineering, was tested extensively before being mandated for competition use. Instead of the previous ‘success ballast’, the level of hybrid assistance given to each driver was restricted in a bid to promote closer competition.
Changes were made to the operation of the hybrid assistance for the 2024 season, with extra boost from the turbocharged engine permitted to aid overtaking. This followed Ashley Sutton’s dominance of the BTCC during 2023.
The ‘push to pass’ turbo boost will be retained for the 2025 season, but without any additional hybrid assistance. The changes will reduce weight by around 55kg, also aiding the cars’ agility.
BTCC continues to evolve
The new sustainable race petrol – Hiperflo ECO102 R100 – is free of any fossil fuel components. All its ingredients come from synthetic and biological sources, meeting all the relevant FIA and ISCC rules on sustainability.
Alan Gow, BTCC chief executive, said: “The hybrid era was a great one for the BTCC. Six years ago, when we first announced hybrid, it was a technology still in its relative infancy within motorsport. We’ve successfully completed that programme – and really have no more to prove in that respect – whilst others have yet to catch up.
“But as we’ve now ticked that box we can move further forward with the introduction of the fossil-free sustainable fuel, whilst very importantly delivering the same performance parameters that made this year’s BTCC such a memorable one.
“We don’t just sit still with the BTCC – we evolve, and we advance, as today’s announcement firmly underlines.”
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