TEAM VERTU SEEKS TO ADD TO SILVERSTONE SUCCESS
Team VERTU will hope to add to an impressive record around the Silverstone National circuit when the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns to the famous Northamptonshire venue for the penultimate round of the season.
The EXCELR8-run team heads for the Home of British Motorsport looking to add to the 20 podium finishes it has scored thus far in 2026, including three wins shared between reigning champion Tom Ingram and experienced team-mate Tom Chilton.
Although he retains a mathematical chance of a third title, Ingram arrives at Silverstone well aware that those chances are slim at best, with a difficult weekend at Croft last time out having left him more than 100 points down on current leader Ash Sutton.
Ingram’s focus is now very much on extending an impressive record that had seen him finish inside the top two in the championship in every season since 2022.
Silverstone had been a happy hunting ground in the past with Ingram having only failed to make the podium on two of his twelve previous visits since making his BTCC debut back in 2014, with hopes high of more silverware during the weekend ahead.
Chilton scored the first win of his BTCC career at Silverstone back in 2004 and returns to the circuit this time around on the back of a positive weekend at Croft earlier this month, where he scored his third podium finish of the year.
The most experienced driver on the grid retains hopes of a top-ten championship finish despite a challenging season and is targeting three strong results to bolster his tally ahead of the Brands Hatch finale next month.
Nicolas Hamilton also showed strong pace in the final race of the weekend at Croft, although a track limits penalty prevented him from scoring points for the fifth time this season.
Having benefitted from revisions to the adaptations fitted to his car as a result of cerebral palsy, Hamilton arrives at Silverstone in confident mood and will hope to impress in his quest to secure a top three finish in the Jack Sears Trophy standings.
The trio will be joined this weekend by Osamu Kawashima, who becomes the first Japanese driver to compete in the series for more than 40 years.
Kawashima previously raced in the BTCC-supporting Ginetta GT4 Supercup where he finished as runner-up in the Am category, and will hope to enjoy three trouble free races on his debut in Britain’s premier racing series.
Qualifying and the qualifying race this weekend will air on YouTube from 14:05 on Saturday, with Sunday’s three races on ITV4 scheduled for 11:15, 14:30 and 17:20.
Tom Chilton, #3 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“It’s always special to return to Silverstone with the history and heritage that the circuit has, and the fact that it’s the circuit where I scored my first win in the BTCC.
“I love racing on the National layout and we know that it’s a circuit where the Hyundai has been strong in the past, so I’m confident that we can be in contention towards the front of the field and challenge for some strong results.
“Although the season as a whole hasn’t gone the way I was hoping, we can still end the year on a high and I’m hoping to build on the podium finish from Croft last time out to challenge for a second win of the year.”
Nicolas Hamilton, #28 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“We made some major changes to my car at Croft and by the end of the weekend, we were able to see the positive impact that those changes had made, which leaves me confident as we head to Silverstone.
“As a driver, I feel I’ve made a lot of progress this season and I’m determined to try and make sure I finish the year on a high. Silverstone is a circuit where I know the car has gone well in the past and I’m hopeful of being in contention for points this weekend.
“I’d love to try and add a second Jack Sears Trophy win to my collection and that would be the ultimate goal.”
Tom Ingram, #80 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“Croft was arguably the most frustrating weekend of the season last time out as the car felt fantastic yet we didn’t get the results to show it. That has been the story of our year to an extent, and unfortunately it means that we head to Silverstone this weekend with a gap at the top of the championship that we know is too great to overcome.
“That isn’t going to change the way I approach the final two rounds of the season, and my focus is firmly on pushing for wins to end the year on a high. Silverstone is a circuit where the Hyundai has always been strong and where I’ve had a lot of success personally, so I’m hoping to add to that record and challenge for the top step of the podium.”
Osamu Kawashima, #81 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“I’m hugely excited to have the opportunity to become the first Japanese driver to race in the BTCC in the modern era and would like to express my gratitude to everyone at EXCELR8 for making it possible and for supporting me during testing.
“When I previously raced in the UK in Ginettas, I set myself the goal of one day competing in the BTCC. It’s taken longer than I hoped, but everything has fallen into place and my dream is now finally coming true.
“I’m looking forward to challenging myself against some incredibly fast and talented drivers on the grid, and my goal is to try and achieve some good results and to hone my own driving skills. As a racing driver you always want to win, but realistically speaking, if was able to score a point it would represent an outstanding achievement for me.”
Justina Williams, Team VERTU Team Owner, said:
“Silverstone is a circuit where we have gone well in the past and we return this weekend with one goal, which is to challenge for a win. The final two rounds are all about ensuring that we end the season on a high and the whole team is fully focused on delivering the best possible results.”
