Overview
- EXCELR8 confirmed on Wednesday that Ricky Collard will step up from reserve and drive the Hyundai i30 N Fastback at the season‑closing Brands Hatch GP round.
- The team said Osamu Kawashima will be given additional car time away from race weekends after a difficult BTCC debut at Silverstone left him significantly off the pace.
- Collard has taken seven podiums this season and missed Silverstone, a gap that dropped him to 10th in the standings but also gives him maximum TOCA Turbo Boost for qualifying, the qualifying race and race one.
- Collard acknowledged tensions after Silverstone and said he is focused on the finale while discussing with the team the possibility of returning to the race seat in 2027.
- TOCA Turbo Boost is a competition rule that rewards drivers who missed recent running with temporary performance allowance, so Collard’s procedural advantage could let him close points gaps early in the Brands Hatch weekend.