BTCC Season 2025 – BRANDS HATCH INDY – QUALIFYING
Here we are back at Brands Hatch for this afternoon’s Qualifying session in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship. It is still dry, bright and sunny, and all is to play for.
In this 4 part Qualifying session it was Aiden who was out in the first session hoping to progress by being in the top 6 of these first 12 cars. With it being a short 10 minute session, one lap pace was key, but it takes 2 to 3 minutes to get the tyres anywhere near warm. Aiden started his fast lap as the clock ticked past the 5 minute mark and immediately went 4th and on the next lap went 3rd with 3 minutes to go. Unfortunately, Aiden was then unlucky as he clipped the kerb on the inside of Paddock Hill bend and that fired him off into the gravel causing a red flag and as a result, costing him his fastest time, pushing him to 12th in the times! That is brutal.
The second Qualifying session included Charles and again, this is just a 10 minute session. Charles was on his first quick lap with 6 minutes on the clock and went top of the times. He was briefly replaced there by Jake Hill, but Charles immediately went quicker again to claim the top spot back. Hill then went even quicker and so Charles was 2nd in the session and through to the top 12 shoot out – part 3 of Qualifying.
12 cars were back on track and the goal here for Charles is to once again make the top 6. This session has a dozen fast cars on track, so finding space for a quick lap is really tough. After 6 minutes, Charles was placed 3rd, but a minute later he was down to 5th due to traffic. Charles then blew the field away to go top, only to find that Jake Hill in his slipstream pipped him once again. With 3 minutes left, Charles was back to the top where he finished the session! Phew!
And now, the end is near – well for Qualifying at least. The top 6 cars went back out at 3.55 for 10 minutes, still in the uninterrupted Kent sunshine. On the first flying lap at the halfway point in the 10 minute session, Charles was top with a 46.5 second lap which is amazingly quick. Jake Hill then went top, these two BMW’s consistently swapping places at the front. So it was at the flag with him completing the front row in 2nd place. It is hard to believe that this is Charles’ first ever qualifying session a touring car here at Brands Hatch.
All this means that Charles will start Race 1 tomorrow in 2nd place and Aiden will be in 25th but with plenty of pace and real point to prove! We’ll see you tomorrow.