Fabrizio Giovanardi and Colin Turkington shared the wins in today’s opening three rounds of the new HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season – the 50th of the championship's history – at Brands Hatch.
Reigning BTCC Champion Giovanardi leaves the Kent circuit tonight leading the standings, but with just a two-point advantage over rising star Mat Jackson as the UK’s premier motor racing series heads for the Rockingham circuit in Northamptonshire for its next three rounds on Sunday 13 April.
BMW Dealer Team UK driver Jackson achieved his first BTCC pole position in Saturday qualifying and had looked on course to win today’s opening round in his BMW 320si until Giovanardi pounced in his Vauxhall Vectra VXR.
Giovanardi then won race two with Jackson only fourth. But in race three Giovanardi was back in sixth whereas Jackson took a close second behind rival Team RAC BMW driver Turkington to close the gap back up. Indeed, Turkington’s and Jackson’s intense battle for the lead will have made great viewing towards the end of ITV4’s five hours of live television coverage of today's BTCC action.
Giovanardi said: “This is a fantastic start for me and my team. The grid this year is so strong, so it was very important to get a good start to the season. I will fly home to Italy with a big smile on my face, but I know it is going to be very tough to maintain this form. We are competitive, but the others are very close behind.”
Jackson, aged 26 from Henley-in-Arden and in only his second BTCC season, added: “We showed all day we had the pace to win, but it didn’t quite come off for us. The most important thing is we’ll arrive at Rockingham right up there fighting for the lead of the championship. I feel we’re in very strong shape for the rest of the season.”
Turkington, from Portadown and also aged 26, said: “It was terrific to come out on top of that battle with Mat at the end and take the win after what had been a tough day up until then. It was important as it’s kept us towards the front in the championship and gives us plenty of momentum for Rockingham in two weeks.”
Meanwhile, Vauxhall and its VX Racing squad have taken early leads in the BTCC’s Manufacturers’ and Teams’ championships respectively. And it is Jackson and his BMW Dealer Team UK squad who lead the Independent Drivers’ and Teams’ standings.
BTCC Round 1 Result (provisional):1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, 24 laps in 20m15.564s
2. Mat Jackson (GBR), BMW Dealer Team UK/BMW 320si, +0.215s
3. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDI, +6.012s
Fastest lap: Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, 49.202s
BTCC Round 2 Result (provisional):1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, 27 laps in 24m43.227s
2. Gordon Shedden (GBR), Team Halfords/Honda Civic, +0.942s3. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDI, +1.413s
Fastest lap: Darren Turner (GBR), SEAT Sport UK/SEAT Leon TDI, 49.491s
BTCC Round 3 Result (provisional):1. Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC/BMW 320si, 27 laps in 26m35.148s2. Mat Jackson (GBR), BMW Dealer Team UK/BMW 320si, +0.882s3. Matt Neal (GBR), VX Racing/Vauxhall Vectra VXR, +2.299sFastest lap: Jackson, 49.588s
Drivers Championship:
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), 37 points
2. Mat Jackson (GBR), 35
3. Jason Plato (GBR), 26
4. Colin Turkington (GBR), 20= Matt Neal (GBR), 206. Gordon Shedden, 177. Darren Turner (GBR), 15
8. Mike Jordan (GBR), 109. Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR), 910. Tom Chilton (GBR), 6
Manufacturers Championship:
1. Vauxhall, 71
2. SEAT, 56
Teams Championship:
1. VX Racing, 56
2. SEAT Sport UK, 40
3. BMW Dealer Team UK, 32
