The British Touring Car Championship will ditch its hybrid powertrains in 2025, just two years after the systems were introduced.
The BTCC has stated that it will become the first championship in the UK to adopt fully sustainable fossil-free fuel for all its cars. The fuel in question will be Hiperflo ECO102 R100, supplied by Haltermann Carless. The series said that all elements of its fuel test and development program have been completed successfully, and following a full assessment and consultation, the decision has been made to introduce the 100% sustainable fuel for every car from next season.
The BTCC became the first touring car series in the world to confirm the use of hybrid power back in 2018, before it was officially launched for the 2022 season. However, the system’s introduction was not universally praised, and the series has experimented with different approaches to using hybrid deployment as a replacement for success ballast. Rather than adding weight to successful cars, hybrid deployment was limited, and vice versa for those further down the field. For 2024, the hybrid was augmented by an increase in boost pressure for the ICE, effectively increasing power output by around 60bhp (up from the 30bhp delivered only by the hybrid in 2023). For 2025, the power increase will remain the same but be generated solely by increasing boost pressure.
With the field dropping in size year-on-year, and competitors expressing concern that costs were excessive, removing the expense of the hybrid appears to be a logical choice. However, BTCC chief executive Alan Gow has told the press that cost was not a factor in the decision.
In an official statement, Gow said, “The introduction of 100% fossil-free sustainable fuel for 2025 shows that the BTCC remains committed to innovation in motorsport. As the highest-profile championship in the UK, this introduction is a significant and essential step in maintaining the competitiveness and excitement synonymous with the BTCC, but in a more sustainable and forward-thinking way.
“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 program – 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 while 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.”
