Leading world Rally Championship firm M-Sport has secured the contract to supply the customer ‘TOCA’ engines in the British Touring Car Championship from the 2022 season onwards.
M-Sport, which has led Ford to numerous victories and title glory in the WRC, will take over from Swindon Engines, which has supplied the off-the-peg units since the 2011 season. Swindon will continue to supply engines until the end of the 2021 season.
The contract will run for five years, and adds to M-Sport’s motorsport portfolio, alongside operating in the WRC and running the factory Bentley GT3 programme.
In the 2020 season 55% of the grid will use the TOCA engine, highlighting its importance to the BTCC grid.
“We’re delighted to have been selected to supply the new TOCA BTCC engine in 2022,” said M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson.
“The BTCC has long been a popular and prestigious part of the British motorsport scene, and we’re all looking forward to working with TOCA and the relevant teams on this new and exciting project.
“I firmly believe that M-Sport has some of the best engineering expertise in the country, and with the development of our on-site Evaluation Centre this capability is only going to increase.”
The tender attracted interest from nine companies, which resulted in seven fully-submitted tenders. From there, a four-strong shortlist was selected, after which each produced a ten-page presentation to the teams.
The final process saw teams submitting questions relating to each presentation, followed by answers from each company via video link. In the end, voting by all BTCC teams resulted in M-Sport winning the tender to develop, build and supply the engines.
M-Sport will also work closely with Cosworth in the process of introducing the new BTCC Hybrid System, also to be introduced in 2022. Cosworth will design, supply and service the system.
M-Sport will work through a development programme for the new engine, including rigorous testing and manufacture during 2021, ahead of its introduction in 2022.
“I’m delighted to welcome M-Sport into the BTCC family and congratulate them on their successful tender,” said BTCC Chief Executive Alan Gow.
“The opportunity to supply the TOCA engine from 2022 understandably attracted great interest from an extremely high calibre of bidders, so it is testament to M-Sport’s professionalism and expertise that they were able to come out on top of such a competitive and comprehensive process.
“I would also like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Swindon Powertrain, who have been such an integral part of the success of the BTCC engine regulations, and we look forward to working closely with them for the remaining two seasons of their contract.”