Vansdirect-backed Team VERTU Rev Up for BTCC Title Defence
Vansdirect-supported Team VERTU will begin the defence of its British Touring Car Championship title during this weekend’s 2026 BTCC curtain raiser at Donington Park.
The four-strong team returns to action at the Leicestershire venue with 2025 BTCC Driver’s Champion Tom Ingram heading up a revised driver line-up comprising Tom Chilton, Nicholas Hamilton and Ricky Collard.
This will be the sixth consecutive season that Vansdirect has officially-backed the EXCELR8-run outfit, which competes under the banner and colours of our parent company, Vertu Motors.
Ingram, who is also heading into his sixth campaign with the team, is eyeing the rarely-achieved feat of a third BTCC title having dominated the 2025 season with seven wins and 18 podiums across 30 races.
The High Wycombe driver – who was also champion with EXCELR8 in 2022 – will once again campaign a Hyundai i30 N Fastback with prominent Vansdirect branding, beginning with this weekend’s opener around the Donington Park National circuit.
He will be joined on track by fan favourite Chilton, who begins his fifth season with EXCELR8 looking to build on one of his strongest-ever BTCC campaigns in 2025. The experienced touring car driver – formerly a front runner at world championship level - won two races last year en route to seventh overall in what was his 19th season competing at BTCC level.
New Faces Join Team VERTU Line-Up
While Ingram and Chilton are familiar with Team VERTU fans, this weekend’s opening round will see new faces in Hamilton and Collard make their debut with the outfit.
Hamilton is one of the BTCC grid’s most experienced drivers having accumulated 150 starts since his debut back in 2015. This weekend’s return to Donington Park sees Hamilton reconvene at the scene of his strongest BTCC finish of sixth place, achieved in 2023.
Collard, meanwhile, returns to BTCC action after two years out competing in the British GT Championship, where he was a title-winner in 2024.
Both drivers come with impressive motrosport heritage in their family with Nicholas being brother to seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, while Collard – who has two BTCC podiums to his name – is the son of 15-time BTCC race winner Rob Collard.
2026 BTCC Calendar
| Round | Date | Venue |
| 1 | 18-19 April | Donington Park (National Circuit) |
| 2 | 9-10 May | Brands Hatch (Indy Circuit) |
| 3 | 23-24 May | Snetterton (300 Circuit) |
| 4 | 6-7 June | Oulton Park (Island Circuit) |
| 5 | 25-26 July | Thruxton |
| 6 | 8-9 August | Knockhill |
| 7 | 22-23 August | Donington Park (Grand Prix Circuit) |
| 8 | 5-6 September | Croft |
| 9 | 26-27 September | Silverstone (National Circuit) |
| 10 | 10-11 October | Brands Hatch (Grand Prix Circuit |
