BTCC - Donington Park

Donington Park hosts two British Touring Car Championship events during the season. The venue uses two different circuit configurations for these races. The National Circuit measures 1.95 miles with 10 turns, while the Grand Prix Circuit extends to 2.498 miles with 12 turns. Both layouts offer distinct challenges for BTCC competitors.

The circuit sits near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. MotorSport Vision owns and operates the facility, which can accommodate up to 120,000 spectators. The National Circuit provides a fast and flowing experience for drivers. The Grand Prix Circuit presents a more technical challenge with elevation changes and corners like the Craner Curves, Old Hairpin, and Melbourne Hairpin.

Each BTCC event at Donington Park follows a standard format. Saturday includes free practice sessions and qualifying rounds. Sunday features three headline races. Support series race throughout the weekend, including the Wera Tools F4 British Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, and the Vertu MINI CHALLENGE. ITV provides live television coverage of the races.

A full grid of 24 cars competes in the BTCC series. Teams include Alliance Racing, Excelr8 Motorsport, Speedworks Motorsport, West Surrey Racing, Power Maxed Racing, Un-Limited Motorsport, Restart Racing, and One Motorsport. The driver lineup features reigning champion Jake Hill, along with Ash Sutton, Tom Ingram, Josh Cook, Aiden Moffat, Dan Cammish, Daniel Rowbottom, Gordon Shedden, and Senna Proctor.

All BTCC cars conform to Next Generation Touring Car specifications. These regulations reduce costs and create competitive balance across the grid. Every car uses a 2-litre turbo-charged engine that produces over 350 bhp. Teams can choose between TOCA's standard engine or develop their own unit. The series has switched to 100% sustainable fuel, making BTCC the first UK championship to use fossil-free fuel. Recent technical changes include the removal of hybrid power, with turbo boost now providing the power increase. Cars run approximately 55kg lighter than previous seasons. Goodyear supplies tyres for all competitors.

Donington Park holds the distinction of being the oldest UK motorsport circuit still in operation. The venue first hosted racing in 1931 with a motorcycle event, followed by car racing in 1933. World War II interrupted operations when the military used the site as a vehicle depot. Tom Wheatcroft purchased the circuit in 1971 and completed a full rebuild, with racing resuming in 1977. The BTCC has visited Donington Park since 1977, establishing a long relationship with the venue.

The circuit has hosted many significant motorsport events beyond BTCC races. These include MotoGP, the British Superbike Championship, and the 1993 European Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna delivered a memorable performance at that Grand Prix, widely regarded as one of the finest drives in Formula 1 history. Matt Neal won at Donington Park in 1999 as an Independent driver, marking a historic BTCC achievement. Jason Plato and Matt Neal both reached major career milestones at the circuit in 2013.

The combination of two distinct circuit layouts makes Donington Park unique on the BTCC calendar. Teams must adapt their setups between the flowing National Circuit and the technical Grand Prix Circuit. The venue's history and its position as England's first permanent park circuit add to its appeal. Fans can watch close racing across different circuit configurations, with the championship battle unfolding on these established racing grounds. The switch to sustainable fuel demonstrates the series' commitment to future racing technology while maintaining competitive action on track.