Team VERTU were the kings of qualifying in the BTCC in 2025, with Tom Ingram lifting the ‘Wingfoot Award’ as best qualifier of the season.
Ingram only failed to make the Quick Six twice all year but had the best qualifying average on the grid, with Senna Proctor having the fourth best average and Tom Chilton also in the end-of-season top ten.
For 2026 however, that all changes with a revised Saturday schedule incorporating a Qualifying Race to determine the grid for race one on a Sunday.
Here’s the key changes that you’ll need to know…
- Free practice will no longer run across two sessions, with a single 40 minute session now being held on a Saturday morning.
- Qualifying will take place in early afternoon to decide who starts where for the qualifying race. The field will be split in two, with the two groups then having 15 minutes on track to set their best time.
- The group with the quickest time will form the odd numbered side of the grid for the qualifying race, with the other group forming the even side.
- The qualifying race itself will run for around 15 minutes with everyone on the same standard tyre – no option tyres can be used.
- TOCA Turbo Boost will be available as per championship standings.
- Points are only offered for the overall championship to the top 15 drivers on a half-points basis, albeit rounded up to the nearest whole point. There will be no bonus points offered for leading the qualifying race or for the fastest lap.
- The maximum number of points across a weekend will increase from 67 to 76.
2026 BTCC Points System:
Position | Qualifying Races | Races 1-3 |
|---|---|---|
1 | 10 | 20 |
2 | 9 | 17 |
3 | 8 | 15 |
4 | 7 | 13 |
5 | 6 | 11 |
6 | 5 | 10 |
7 | 5 | 9 |
8 | 4 | 8 |
9 | 4 | 7 |
10 | 3 | 6 |
11 | 3 | 5 |
12 | 2 | 4 |
13 | 2 | 3 |
14 | 1 | 2 |
15 | 1 | 1 |
Lap Led | N/A | 1 |
Fastest Lap | N/A | 1 |
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