Photo: BTCC

BTCC reveals details on Hybrid Energy Management System

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Organisers of the British Touring Car Championship have released further details on how the new hybrid system being introduced this season will replace the success ballast previously used.

The BTCC becomes the first major touring car series in the world to introduce hybrid technology this season, with all cars running a new system provided by Cosworth.

The system will provide drivers with an additional amount of power that can be used from the end of lap one onwards in a race for a maximum of 15 seconds per lap, with hybrid only available once drivers have hit a speed of at least 75mph.

Attempting to engage the hybrid before that speed is reached will result in a timed lockout of two seconds, with fans trackside able to see who is using the system via a light system in the rear windows.

In the event of a safety car, hybrid can not be used in the first lap after a restart.

With success ballast now removed, drivers will instead be limited in the amount of time that they can use the hybrid system during qualifying, whilst the number of deployments will be limited in races depending on championship positions and previous race results.

In qualifying, the championship leader will not be able to make use of the hybrid system at all, with the amount available rising by 1.5s per lap up to the maximum of 15 seconds for drivers in eleventh down.

The amount of laps that drivers can use the hybrid in races will be dependent on the length of the race, with different levels available for races below 17 laps in length.

Here, the person who would previously have run maximum ballast will have to run ten laps without hybrid power, with that number dropping by a lap for each position until drivers in eleventh down can use the system for every lap.

In races of more than 17 laps, the person who would have run maximum ballast will have to run hybrid free for 15 laps, with the amount of laps without hybrid reducing by two per position for the top six and then by one per place until drivers from eleventh onwards have access for every lap.

Drivers will be made aware via a dashboard display of how much hybrid is available.

Hybrid Energy Management System (HEMS)

Qualifying:

1 – 0s per lap
2 – 1.5s per lap
3 – 3s per lap
4 – 4.5s per lap
5 – 6s per lap
6 – 7.5s per lap
7 – 9s per lap
8 – 10.5s per lap
9 – 12s per lap
10 – 13.5s per lap
11+ – 15s per lap

Races (less than 17 laps):

1 – 10 laps without hybrid
2 – 9 laps without hybrid
3 – 8 laps without hybrid
4 – 7 laps without hybrid
5 – 6 laps without hybrid
6 – 5 laps without hybrid
7 – 4 laps without hybrid
8 – 3 laps without hybrid
9 – 2 laps without hybrid
10 – 1 laps without hybrid
11+ – 0 laps without hybrid

Races (more than 17 laps):

1 – 15 laps without hybrid
2 – 13 laps without hybrid
3 – 11 laps without hybrid
4 – 9 laps without hybrid
5 – 7 laps without hybrid
6 – 5 laps without hybrid
7 – 4 laps without hybrid
8 – 3 laps without hybrid
9 – 2 laps without hybrid
10 – 1 laps without hybrid
11+ – 0 laps without hybrid