Ash Sutton's Fifth BTCC Title and the Collard Replacement Row

Ash Sutton wins a record fifth BTCC title, and we give our verdict on Silverstone, the Collard replacement debate and what comes next. Ash took the championship with four races to spare after driving from 12th to first in Race 2, and we talk through exactly what made him so hard to beat this year. We also go through Aiden Moffat's reinstated Race 1 win, Mikey Doble's strong weekend, Tom Ingram's wet Race 3 victory and the rebuilt Power Maxed Racing Audi squad that is closing in on the independents title. The biggest talking point away from the track was Osamu Kawashima replacing Ricky Collard at EXCELR8 for the final two rounds. We give our honest opinions on pay drivers, minimum standards and why the BTCC finds it so hard to bring in sponsors, prize money and a bigger TV slot, and we would love to hear where you land. We also look at Ash's win rate against Jason Plato, Colin Turkington and Matt Neal, ask whether he chases the all time win record or tries another series, and talk about Tom Chilton's MSport engine switch, Dexter Patterson's Jack Sears Trophy and Dan Rowbottom's unlucky Race 3. Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:00 Welcome and Our Silverstone Weekend Verdict 1:53 Why the Silverstone National Circuit Falls Flat 5:01 Aiden Moffat's Race 1 Win Is Reinstated 6:06 Power Maxed Racing's Audi Comeback 7:51 The Toyotas and the Ford Focus This Season 8:48 Ricky Collard Out and Osamu Kawashima In 11:02 Pay Drivers and the Case for a Minimum Standard 14:20 Why Was the Kawashima Deal Kept Quiet? 18:36 BTCC Sponsorship and Revenue Problems 22:42 ITV Coverage and Kwik Fit Activation 26:05 Tom Ingram's Race 3 Win 28:00 Tom Chilton's MSport Engine Switch 29:35 Dexter Patterson Takes the Jack Sears Trophy 30:24 Ash Sutton's Record Breaking Title Win 34:46 Ash Sutton vs Plato, Turkington and Neal 37:32 CPRL, Plato and the Mercedes Story 39:30 Dan Rowbottom's Race 3 Windscreen Problem 41:54 Will Ash Sutton Go for a Sixth Title? 48:39 What Is Coming Next on The Motorsport Files The Brands Hatch finale is on 10 and 11 October, and we have an Ash Sutton special and a full 2026 season review planned for the winter. Follow the show so you do not miss either one, and a rating helps other touring car fans find us. Find us on social at TMF Pod 23, and find Chris on Instagram and TikTok at Motorsport Woking. Episode guides are on our website at www.themotorsportfiles.com