THE STORIES TO WATCH IN THE BTCC

CORONAVIRUS PUTS THE START OF THE SEASON ON HOLD

This season’s British Touring Car Championship was due to start this weekend at Donington Park. It is now (as Autosport went to press) scheduled to begin at Thruxton (above) on 16-17 May, but, in the ever-changing landscape amid the coronavirus pandemic, there is every chance that it could be later still.

For now, the opening three rounds at Donington, Brands Hatch and Silverstone have been postponed, but series boss Alan Gow is committed to making every attempt to shoehorn in rearranged dates, once the green light is given for sport to recommence in the UK, to make up a full 10-round, 30-race calendar.

This mean there will have to be a thorough look with the circuits at available dates and discussions with ITV. Live coverage of BTCC Sundays on ITV4, including the support championships, is a key part of the commercial success of the series.

“It’s way too early to do that [think about potential slots for rearranged races] because we don’t know on what date we’re going to be able to restart,” said Gow. “The dates we race on are