THE BTCC BOILING POINT: FOUR GUN FOR THE CROWN AT BRANDS

There are 45 racing laps around the Brands Hatch Grand Prix layout on Sunday that will determine the outcome of the British Touring Car Championship. Four drivers will go hunting for glory over the 110 miles, and only one will prevail.

While a finals day shootout for the BTCC is not unprecedented, what is remarkable about this year’s competition is how close the protagonists are. Reigning champion Ash Sutton heads the way in his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus but he is only five points clear of the MB Motorsport BMW of Jake Hill. And hard on their heels is the Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai of Tom Ingram. Colin Turkington has a long shot at the crown in his WSR BMW 330e M Sport too, some 27 points from the summit.

The heat is on, and nowhere is it more evident than on the BTCC’s finals day. Sutton is gunning for a record-equalling fourth crown and that means he has been in the pressure cooker environment of the last-chance saloon