Harsher driving standard penalties amongst BTCC rule changes

An increase in the severity of penalties for poor driving standards are amongst a raft of penalties that have been introduced for the 2018 BTCC season.

The move to increase the penalties comes on the back of a series of incidents on track over the course of the 2017 campaign, with series director Alan Gow having vowed to get tough with poor standards of driving.

Under the new rules, fines will be increased whilst any ‘strike’ handed out to a driver will last for twelve months rather than until the end of the season.

Whilst a third strike will still see a driver sent to the back of the grid for the next race, and a fourth strike will incur a ban, the penalties above that have been increased – with a two race ban for a fifth strike, a three race ban for a sixth strike and then a ban for the remainder of the campaign for a seventh strike.

Minor incidents involving two cars where the position of the drivers involved can be swapped post-race – or where positions have been reversed by the offending driver may not result in a ‘strike’.

In other changes, the reverse grid draw for the final race will now see anything from positions six to twelve reversed (aside from at Snetterton following the announcement of an extended final race), whilst the Jack Sears Trophy will now be open to drivers who have never scored an outright podium rather than for rookie drivers.

Eight drivers were eligible for the JST this season – a figure that would have increased to 17 had the new system been in place. Any driver who scores a podium will then be unable to compete for the trophy from the following season.

Boost adjustments will now take place once per season, with drivers able to make two permanent driver changes per season.

In an effort to improve driver safety, six large portable trackside marshalling light panels are being produced that will be taken to every event on the calendar and used at points where it is deemed that drivers and marshals will benefit.

All the changes come into effect from the first race of 2018.