Toyota Gazoo Racing UK look to re-ignite BTCC title bid at Snetterton

• Front-running BTCC outfit look to kickstart championship bid at Snetterton.
• Rory Butcher and Sam Smelt keen to use strong track record in Norfolk to propel themselves up the standings.
• Action broadcast live on ITV4 this Sunday, with spectators set to return for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

After a tough start to the season at Thruxton last month, Motul-sponsored Toyota Gazoo Racing UK head to Snetterton this weekend (12-13 June) looking to re-ignite their title push in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

A combination of tricky conditions and outright bad luck hampered the performance of the team’s Toyota Corolla GR Sport challengers in the hands of Rory Butcher and Sam Smelt, with both drivers battling to one points finish apiece at the high-speed Hampshire venue.

Spirits remain high in the camp as Speedworks Motorsport head to Snetterton, a happy hunting ground in previous years. Only last season, the Toyota scored a brace of podium finishes around the 2.97-mile Norfolk venue, despite carrying success ballast on board.

That, combined with an equally strong record for both drivers in Norfolk, has fuelled the optimistic mood within the team as they prepare to bounce back in fine style and put their title bid back on the rails.

This weekend will also see the first instance of the BTCC’s ‘Top Ten Showdown’ during qualifying, which takes place at 14:30 on Saturday.

Drivers will have a marginally reduced 25 minutes to register their best effort, after which the top ten will continue to battle it out for that coveted pole position.

Sunday features a triple-header of action-packed races, all broadcast live on ITV4, with lights out at 11:35, 14:30 and 17:20 respectively.

Snetterton will also play host to fans trackside for the first time in over a year at the UK’s premier motorsport series, with up to 4,000 spectators set to be admitted per day across the weekend, in line with the government’s latest guidance.

Christian Dick, Team Principal, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:

“The mood inside the camp is pretty buoyant heading to Snetterton, I have to say. It wasn’t the easiest start to the campaign for us at Thruxton, but we learned a lot from the weekend and adversity always makes you stronger.

“We have gone away, carefully analysed everything and know where we need to improve – and, most importantly, what we need to do to achieve that.

“Our pre-season testing at Snetterton was extremely encouraging, and obviously the Corolla was a very competitive proposition there last year. Throw in the fact that both Rory and Sam will be ballast-free in qualifying and race one, and I think we have the basis for a really strong weekend.”

Rory Butcher, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:

“I think it’s fair to say Thruxton was a tricky weekend for everybody due to the constantly changing weather. Results-wise, it was clearly very disappointing, but sometimes you learn the hard way – particularly in a championship as tough and as cut-throat as the BTCC – and you just have to take it on the chin and move on.

“On the positive side, we were able to pinpoint the main areas to focus on, and we came away with much greater knowledge of how the car reacts in different conditions. I have to say, the feedback the Corolla gave me was very encouraging. I feel like I’m really beginning to get to grips with it now – we’re bringing it increasingly into the window where I need it to be to extract the very best out of it.

“I’m very excited for Snetterton. We did a fair bit of running there pre-season, and the Corolla felt brilliant right from the word ‘go’. We experimented with a lot of different set-up options, and I think we return in a very good place. The characteristics of the car really seem to suit the circuit, particularly its poise when tackling the medium and slow-speed corners – which is exactly what you want at Snetterton – and through the high-speed sections, too, it was very confidence-inspiring.

“After what happened at Thruxton, the goal at Snetterton has to be to finish all three races and put some solid points on the board. With no success ballast to carry, we can exploit the Corolla’s full potential in qualifying so it will be important to secure a strong grid position to give ourselves the best possible chance on race day. I know I have the car underneath me to get the job done, so there’s nothing holding us back. Let’s go out there and do this!”

Sam Smelt, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:

“It was good to get the first race weekend under my belt. It was never going to be easy returning to the BTCC after more than two years away from the grid – especially at Thruxton – and the changeable weather only added to that challenge, but we stuck to our plan and kept working our way forward. It was all about re-finding my feet in the championship, and to finish the weekend by scoring my first points was a great confidence boost.

“I learnt a lot – particularly with regard to tyre behaviour and management, and how to get the best out of them – and we made consistent progress throughout. In hindsight, I was probably a bit too cautious to begin with, and one of the major focusses at Snetterton will be to make sure we’re not on the back foot again after qualifying. That really limited our race day prospects at Thruxton – the level in the BTCC is so high that when you start down the order, it can be difficult to recover.

“We had three test days at Snetterton over the winter – in a mixture of conditions – which immediately gives us a head-start compared to Thruxton and a lot of data to refer to. I’m also looking forward to being able to concentrate fully on myself and the car this time, without having to re-acclimatise to the circuit as well. It’s a very different type of track, with a lot of time to be gained or lost around the lap.

“The Corolla was strong there last season, so there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be quick again and I know where I personally need to improve. If we can start further up the grid, that will immediately make our life a whole lot easier and I’m just really excited to get there and see what we can do. Hopefully we can hit the ground running right from FP1.”

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