Ricky Collard’s speed shines amidst uncertain future at Brands Hatch

Ricky Collard endured a weekend of strong pace, robust racing and lingering frustration as the British Touring Car Championship rolled into Brands Hatch, played out against the backdrop of an uncertain programme for the rest of the season.

Collard looked on the pace from the outset on the Indy circuit, delivering a solid qualifying performance that placed him fourth on the timesheets on Saturday afternoon.

That pace translated into an assertive display in the later qualifying race, where he was immediately involved in intense opening‑lap exchanges before settling into the lead battle and securing fourth on the grid for Sunday’s opening race.

Race one on Sunday was the highlight. In greasy, awkward conditions, Collard emerged as Ash Sutton’s main challenger and spent much of the race locked into a tense fight for the lead.

He briefly moved ahead during a thrilling mid-race sequence but ultimately had to settle for second, securing second, to-date his best BTCC result.

The second race proved tougher, with inclement conditions arriving at the circuit. In worsening conditions, Collard again fought at the sharp end and briefly led after a bold move on Sutton as the rain intensified. As the track became increasingly slippery, Árón Taylor‑Smith charged through the pack to take a remarkable maiden win, while Sutton also found a way past and Collard found himself in third place when the race was red‑flagged.

The 29-year-old went on to retire from race three whilst running in the top four on the opening lap after an off-track excursion filled his car’s radiator with cut grass and caused his engine to overheat.

Despite the frustration, Collard was quick to underline the positives to emerge from the meeting and hopes he can finally break his BTCC win duck – emphasising his success in other categories.

“The package is good, we’re challenging” said Collard to TouringCars.Net. “I’ve never done a season without having a win in a car, whether that’s GT World Challenge, GT Masters, at the Nürburgring or Spa – across GT3, GT4, F4 or F3.

“But in British Touring Cars I still haven’t hit that golden goose yet.”

The Brands Hatch podium was his third in just four races this season, a stark contrast to previous campaigns.

“We’ve only finished four races and I’ve had three podiums. I need to finish more of these races and then we’ll really be in the mix.”

True to form, Collard embraced the uncompromising nature of touring car racing, even though it cost him in the final race.

“That’s what touring cars should be about,” he added. “I’ll give it and I’ll take it. Unfortunately, I got driven off the road by Ash in race three. I was just down there speaking to him and he apologised to me. Everyone makes mistakes and it’s water under the bridge.

“But once you get forced onto the grass and the radiators fill up, the car is done. That’s the frustrating part.”

“I’m definitely not doing the full season at the moment,” he said. “I want to be doing the full season and I’ll do everything I can to make that happen. So, it’s important to be professional and deliver results for Team VERTU.

“I’ve never felt so welcome in a team. When you’ve got a quick team‑mate you can rely on and work with, it makes fighting for championships a lot easier.”