Team VERTU will seek to strengthen its bid for top honours in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship as the series heads for Silverstone for what promises to be a pivotal weekend in the race for the 2025 title.
Another strong performance last time out at Donington Park allowed Tom Ingram to extend his advantage in the Drivers’ Championship to 32 points, whilst Team VERTU now leads the Teams’ Championship by just two points.
With a gap of just one point to top spot in the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ standings, the EXCELR8-run squad heads into the final six races of the year chasing a hat-trick of titles in what is proving to be its strongest season to date in Britain’s premier racing series.
Ingram has been a model of consistency this season, with no fewer than 16 podium finishes from the 24 races run so far - including five wins.
Alongside that, Ingram has been the master of qualifying despite the fact he has had less turbo boost that his rivals for much of the season, with the 2022 champion being the only driver to make the Quick Six at every meeting.
Having opened up a handy lead over Ash Sutton in the title race, Ingram will now look to maintain the impressive form that has carried him to the top of the standings with his ultimate goal being to add to the eight wins he has secured at Silverstone in the past.
Tom Chilton is second best Team VERTU driver in the standings having scored his second win of the year at Donington Park; a result that allowed him to strengthen his quest for a top six championship finish.
In what is already his best season since joining the team back in 2022, Chilton has proven to be a regular contender towards the sharp end of the grid and has his eyes firmly fixed on trying to close the gap to the drivers ahead in the title race.
Like Ingram, Chilton has enjoyed plenty of success at Silverstone in the past with no fewer than five wins, including the first of his BTCC career back in 2004.
Adam Morgan lies eight points behind Chilton in seventh place in the standings after also taking to the podium at Donington Park, where he finishes as runner-up for the fourth time this season.
On his return to front-wheel drive this season, Morgan has wasted little time in getting comfortable at the wheel of the Hyundai i30 Fastback N and has had a key role to play in helping the team to challenge on three fronts this season.
With five Silverstone podium finishes to his name, Morgan goes into the weekend chasing a first win at the Home of British Motorsport as he looks to also climb up the championship order.
Senna Proctor meanwhile endured a challenging weekend at Donington Park last time out, but remains tenth in the standings; an impressive performance given that he only joined the driver line-up ahead of round four at Thruxton.
Proctor’s strong form since returning to action means he is currently on course to at least equal his best ever championship finish, and he heads to Silverstone looking to try and add to the two podium finishes he has secured already this year.
Silverstone is one of the circuits where Proctor has yet to step onto the rostrum, giving him added motivation for what promises to be a frenetic weekend of racing around the short National layout.
Qualifying this weekend airs live on YouTube at 15:30 on Saturday, with the three races on Sunday being shown on ITV4 at 11:30, 14:40 and 17:10.
Tom Chilton, #3 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“I have fond memories of Silverstone going right back to my first BTCC win – which seems like a lifetime ago!
“Having scored my most recent win last time out at Donington Park, I’m returning to the circuit on a bit of a high this weekend and feel confident of fighting for some more silverware.
“On a personal level, there is still the opportunity to climb higher in the standings so it’s important that I gain as many points as possible from the weekend.
“If I’m able to do that, then it will also help for the Teams’ Championship and strengthen our position ahead of Finals Day.”
Senna Proctor, #18 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“Donington Park was a bit of a tricky weekend for me, so I’m heading into Silverstone looking to try and get back into the top six, where we’ve been at every other circuit since returning to the grid.
“Although Silverstone hasn’t traditionally been my best circuit, I’m going there this weekend armed with a better car than I’ve had before and one that I know has been really strong in recent seasons.
“I’m confident that this can be my strongest weekend at the circuit to date, and we can not only strengthen our place in the top ten of the championship, but also look to try and close in on our rivals ahead.”
Adam Morgan, #33 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“Donington was a bit of a mixed bag for me with a tough final race, but it was great to be back on the podium in race two to pick up some more silverware.
“Although Silverstone is a circuit where I’ve yet to win in the BTCC, it’s one where I’ve scored plenty of podium finishes in the past and I’m feeling confident about adding to it this weekend.
“The team continues to give me a fantastic car and it would be fantastic to reward my crew with a victory before the end of the year – and I’ll be pushing hard to do it during Sunday’s three races.”
Tom Ingram, #80 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback N, said:
“Donington Park was a fantastic weekend for us last time out, and it means we arrive at Silverstone this weekend in a really strong position in the championship.
“It’s a circuit where we have traditionally gone well in recent years, and is also one where I’ve had plenty of success personally during my career so I’m feeling confident about what we can achieve.
“As I’ve said a number of times this season, the team has worked hard to give me a car that has been fantastic every time we’ve rolled it out of the truck, regardless of the circuit.
“With that in mind, the goal this weekend is to adopt the same approach that has served us well so far, which is maximise every session and ensure we pick up as many points as possible across the three races.”
Justina Williams, Team VERTU Team Owner, said:
“With two rounds to go, we’re in a fantastic position in the standings and it’s important that we all work hard to strengthen that position this weekend.
“Silverstone is a circuit where we have gone well in the past, and the whole team is fired up and ready to give their all to try and emulate our previous successes.”
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