BTCC Donington Park: Ingram wins first race of new hybrid era

The foundations of the victory were built on the second lap – the first of hybrid usage – when he vaulted the warring BMWs of Colin Turkington and Jake Hill to take the lead.

From fourth on the grid, Ingram had dropped to fifth at the start with his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N, powered by a brand-new bespoke Hyundai engine built by long-time former TOCA powerplant supplier Swindon.

He quickly worked his way past the Ciceley Motorsport BMW 330e M Sport of George Gamble, then found a gap down the inside of reigning champion Ash Sutton’s Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST to move into third place.

Up front, Turkington had made a better getaway than rear-wheel-drive BTCC debutant Hill, but the BMW newcomer drew level with the sister West Surrey Racing-run car of four-time champion Turkington as the opening lap ended.

The BMW duo got embroiled in a war over the second lap, rubbing bodywork down the Craner Curves, before Hill dived down the inside of Turkington at the Old Hairpin with his tyres smoking.

Turkington cut back across the outside at Schwantz Curve, but Hill hung on around the outside of McLeans, and there was more contact.

Somehow, Ingram found a gap down the inside of both BMWs into Coppice to take the lead, while Hill – on the outside – was shuffled down to fifth behind Sutton and Gamble.

Jake Hill, ROKiT MB Motorsport BMW 330e M Sport

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Following an early safety car interlude, Hill took little time to reclaim fourth from Gamble, then demoted Sutton from third into McLeans just after half-distance, and set fastest lap as he homed in on the leading duo.

Hill was pressuring Turkington once again when he clipped the tyre stack at the first apex of the chicane with the