TEAM VERTU TARGETS TOP STEP IN SCOTLAND
Team VERTU will look to add to an impressive record of success at Knockhill when the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship makes the annual trip to Scotland this weekend for the sixth round of the season.
The EXCELR8-run team crosses the border seeking to strengthen its title challenge, with defending champion Tom Ingram currently sitting second in the Drivers’ standings and Team VERTU having moved into the same position in the Teams’ Championship following the previous meeting at Thruxton.
Ingram fought his way to a second victory of the year last time out in Hampshire but finds himself playing catch-up to long-time rival Ash Sutton in the standings at the half-way stage of the season.
Ingram’s past record at Knockhill includes an impressive victory last season by the largest winning margin seen all year, whilst he has picked up a total of seven podium finishes at the Fife venue.
With the Hyundai being particularly strong around the short 1.2 mile circuit, Ingram will hope to challenge for further wins in order to eat into Sutton’s advantage at the top.
Ricky Collard remains the second highest Team VERTU driver in the standings having moved up into fifth spot at Thruxton, where he battled back from a disappointing retirement in the qualifying race to bag a best finish of fourth.
The former British GT Champion arrives in Scotland having extended his time with the team, and is seeking to add to an impressive record of five podium finishes already this year – more than doubling his career tally in the space of half a season.
Collard has gone well at Knockhill in the past, including a podium finish on his last BTCC outing three years ago, and will hope for more silverware to add to his ever-growing collection.
Like Ingram, Tom Chilton is a multiple winner at Knockhill through the years having made his first outing at the circuit back in 2002.
Chilton rebounded well from issues of his own in the Thruxton qualifying race to pick up three points finishes in Hampshire but has so far managed just a single podium finish this year to sit 13th in the standings.
Given the close nature of the points, a strong performance this weekend will provide the most experienced driver on the grid with the opportunity to vault up the order with hopes high of pushing for at least one top three finish.
Nicolas Hamilton enjoyed another productive weekend at Thruxton as he secured points for the fourth successive event, meaning he has already surpassed his previous best for points scored in a season.
Hamilton also moved up into third place in the Jack Sears Trophy and makes the trip to Scotland with confidence on a high at a circuit he admits is one of his favourite on the calendar.
Three solid finishes remain his first target for the weekend to maintain the impressive progress he has made since joining the team at the start of the season, with the ultimate goal being to extend his points-scoring run.
Saturday’s qualifying session and qualifying race are scheduled to take place from 14:00 and will air live on YouTube, with the three races on Sunday being aired live on ITV4 at 11:15, 14:15 and 17:20.
Tom Chilton, #3 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“The issues we had in the qualifying race at Thruxton really hampered our chances on race day but we battled back well to get up into the top ten – although that’s not where I was hoping to be.
“Heading to Knockhill, I’m hoping for a more trouble-free weekend which will allow us to really make the most of the pace we have in the car. Last season we managed to come from the back of the grid to take a pair of top eight finishes so if we can qualify well, there is no reason why we can’t expect to be near the front.
“Knockhill is a circuit that I have always enjoyed and where I’ve scored silverware in the past. The target is to try and add to that this weekend.”
Ricky Collard, #11 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“On my last visit to Knockhill in 2023, I picked up a podium finish and had my best weekend of the season, and I also won there whilst competing in British F4, so there are plenty of fond memories from earlier in my career.
“Heading back to Scotland this time around, I’m feeling confident about my chances of another strong performance to build on what has been a really positive season so far.
“The Hyundai is a proven race winner at Knockhill and is a much stronger package than I’ve had on my previous visits. Having missed out on a podium at Thruxton, my target is to get back into the top three and battle for some trophies.”
Nicolas Hamilton, #28 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“Thruxton was one of the events I was least looking forward to and I managed to come away with some points, which leaves me confident going to Knockhill – which is a circuit I love.
“The Scottish crowd is great and the track is amazing; it’s like being on a giant rollercoaster where you’re constantly on two wheels and there is always something going on.
“Obviously I’ve not driven the Hyundai there before as has been the case with most of the circuits that we’ve visited, but I’m confident that we are going to have a strong package and I’m really excited to see what we can achieve in terms of results.”
Tom Ingram, #80 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“Thruxton was a stronger weekend for us than the results on paper suggest, even with the victory in the final race, and we now head for Knockhill hoping to build on the positive results we have gained there in the past.
“Going into the second half of the season, we know there is a huge challenge ahead of us as we look to close the gap at the top of the standings but the whole team is focused on going the best job we can do over the remaining five rounds.
“Track position is key at Knockhill so it’s going to be important to try and maximise our performance during Saturday to ensure that we are towards the sharp end of the grid when it comes to Sunday’s three races.
“I’ve been around the BTCC long enough to know how quickly things can change and one difficult weekend can have a big impact – as I’ve seen personally this year already. With that in mind, we’ve got to push hard to ensure that we pick up as many points as possible this weekend to strengthen our position.”
Justina Williams, Team VERTU Team Owner, said:
“Knockhill is a circuit where we have traditionally been strong in recent years and hopefully the same will be true when we return this weekend.
“With the early summer break this year due to the World Cup, we are heading into a busy spell of events over the coming months and it’s important that we try and maximise our results in every single race to close the gap at the top of the standings.
“A strong performance at Knockhill will give us a platform to build on during the rounds that are remaining and hopefully will come away from the visit to Scotland with plenty of reason to cheer.”
