F1 Fanatic

The RML Chevrolet team has decided not to enter the BTCC in 2012 in order to focus on it’s WTCC efforts.

Did the move to NGTC regs have anything to do with this? Possibly. RML entered to the BTCC with the previous season’s WTCC cars so the team was cheap to run but from now on the two series will run to completely different regs so the chassis and engine can no longer be ‘recycled’.#

The fact they also lost their lead driver to another team and his personal sponsorship may have been a hit, however this may not be true. What is true though is that the BTCC has gained one works team and lost two in the last few months which is going to leave Alan Gow with some work to do.

I guess Chevrolet prefer the level of competition they get in the WTCC.

i.e., none.

A problem with works teams withdrawing is that it can give a false impression to other car manufacturers that the series isn’t do so well or that works teams are getting little or no benefit from their investment.

I agree with Keith here

The WTCC was a bit too predictable last year. Surely with more focus on the WTCC they will win even more, making the series more predictable. If it’s more predictable less people will watch.

It almost sounds silly but wouldn’t they be better off being less dominant, then more people will watch a more exciting championship.

I think that so long as there are cars around for teams to race, we don’t need works teams. Sure, having big brands like Honda and Ford is nice, but it’s not essential in any way.

I did find it quite amusing that Chevrolet were using the BTCC to help the WTCC programme, despite comparisons being about useless because the BTCC uses Dunlop tyres. Unlike Honda and Ford, I never thought that Chevrolet were in it for the long run, and that they would pull out as soon as they weren’t winning. And with most of the grid using NGTC cars, they would have been midfield at best. At least Plato’s still around, that’ll keep the colour in BTCC this year.

It’s a shame they’re going as it means less variety on the grid, though it must be said that the NGTC regs seem to have really opened it up and allow lots of different cars to be used without the need for manufacturer backing. Hopefully there’ll still be some Chevys on the grid this year and hopefully they’ll be competitive.

While the NGTC regs do seem to mean that the series can survive without much manufacturer support, one thing that works teams do do is provide a slightly better quality of driver, as they’re the only teams that can bring proper professionals to the series. The rest of the grid is basically made up of pay drivers. Some (like Mat Jackson for example) have proven they have talent, but others (e.g. Dave Pinkney or John George) have just plain and simply bought their seats.

@don-mateo Dave Pinkney pretty much owns his seat. Aside from last year’s non-outing at Brands, he runs his own car I’m pretty sure. He is a wealthy businessman, after all.