Tom Ingram ‘confident, relaxed and mentally very strong’ ahead of finale

Tom Ingram believes he has the ‘best opportunity we’ve ever had’ to clinch the British Touring Car Championship title at Brands Hatch this weekend, as he seeks to add to his 2022 crown.

The EXCELR8 Motorsport driver goes into the final weekend tied on points with main rival Jake Hill, whilst four-time champion Ash Sutton sits 33 points adrift and still in with a chance if things don’t go Ingram or Hill’s way on Sunday.

Having equalled his biggest-ever points haul over a weekend last time out at Silverstone, Ingram heads into his eighth consecutive finale where he still has a title chance in a buoyant mood.

The 31-year-old scooped his only two wins on the Grand Prix layout back in 2022, when he claimed his maiden BTCC drivers’ title in style.

“I’m feeling confident, relaxed and mentally very strong,” said Ingram. “Historically, we’ve gone really well at Brands ‘GP’, and it’s a circuit I always enjoy so I think we’ll be in good shape.

“The advantage has ebbed-and-flowed all year, and there’s obviously a fairly unique dynamic this weekend going in level on points. It feels like a one-shot shootout for glory, which is exciting for the drivers, the teams and the fans.

“Jake and I will share the same hybrid allocation in qualifying and race one, while Ash will have a little bit more and he certainly isn’t far enough behind just to be forgotten about.

“He might not be an immediate threat as things stand, but you can never discount him; Jake and I only need to have a coming-together in race one and fail to score, and if Ash wins, he would be right back in contention.

“I’m very mindful of that, but as we have done throughout the season, we will be focussing solely on ourselves.

“Ultimately, what we all want is for it to be a fair fight and not come down to luck. Brands ‘GP’ doesn’t really favour either front wheel-drive or rear wheel-drive, so it’s a fairly neutral venue in that respect – although the weather is one aspect that clearly has the potential not to be neutral and could play a big part. That said, with the way the Hyundai is performing at the moment, I’m happy in all conditions.

“We’ve been competitive everywhere this season, and ultra-consistent with it – if we haven’t won, we’ve been there-or-thereabouts.

“I see no reason at all why we can’t finish the job this weekend. This is my eighth consecutive year of going into the BTCC finale still in with a shout, and having the experience of coming out on top before means I know what is required. I genuinely believe we’re in the strongest position possible.

“Had we not had the race two drama at Donington Park, don’t forget, we’d have been leading the championship quite comfortably, and we’ve been quick at Brands ‘GP’ before with a car that I would describe as good, whereas right now, the i30N feels fantastic.

“This feels like the best opportunity we’ve ever had.”