British GT Champ Collard Returns to BTCC in 2026
Ricky Collard, the 2024 British GT champion from Hampshire, will rejoin the British Touring Car Championship in 2026. He has signed with Excelr8 Motorsport and takes the final Hyundai i30 N Fastback seat.
Team line-up
Collard will team with reigning champion Tom Ingram. The other teammates are Tom Chilton and Nicolas Hamilton. Excelr8 fields a four-car Hyundai squad for the season.
Career recap and recent form
Collard first raced in the BTCC in 2018 as a stand-in for his father Rob at West Surrey Racing. He then competed full-time in 2022 and 2023 with Speedworks Motorsport in Toyotas. After touring cars he switched to GT3 machinery.
In 2024 he won the British GT title alongside his father at Barwell Motorsport, driving a Lamborghini. He did not return to British GT in 2025. Instead, he spent most of 2025 racing with Barwell in GT World Challenge Europe.
Preparation and outlook
Collard will drive the Hyundai for the first time at Brands Hatch during the series’ season launch day. The opening BTCC round is scheduled for Donington Park on 18-19 April. Collard has said he feels stronger after his GT experience and is motivated to secure his first BTCC win.
Excelr8 owner Justina Williams welcomed the signing. She expects Collard to fight for podiums and to strengthen the team’s championship bid.
Grid confirmation and team notes
Collard is expected to be the 21st and final driver confirmed for the 2026 BTCC entry list before the first race. West Surrey Racing is still seeking a driver for its third BMW seat. Un-Limited Motorsport has confirmed it will not run its Cupras. One Motorsport’s Honda entry is unlikely to be ready for the season start.
BTCC 2026 line-up
| Driver | Team | Car |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Ingram | Excelr8 Motorsport | Hyundai |
| Tom Chilton | Excelr8 Motorsport | Hyundai |
| Ricky Collard | Excelr8 Motorsport | Hyundai |
| Nicolas Hamilton | Excelr8 Motorsport | Hyundai |
| Ashley Sutton | Alliance Racing | Ford |
| Dan Cammish | Alliance Racing | Ford |
| Sam Osborne | Alliance Racing | Ford |
| Lewis Selby | Alliance Racing | Ford |
| Charles Rainford | West Surrey Racing | BMW |
| Daryl DeLeon | West Surrey Racing | BMW |
| Josh Cook | Speedworks Motorsport | Toyota |
| Gordon Shedden | Speedworks Motorsport | Toyota |
| Aron Taylor-Smith | Speedworks Motorsport | Toyota |
| Max Buxton | Speedworks Motorsport | Toyota |
| Chris Smiley | Restart Racing | Hyundai |
| James Dorlin | Restart Racing | Hyundai |
| Mikey Doble | Power Maxed Racing | Audi |
| Aiden Moffat | Power Maxed Racing | Audi |
| Dexter Patterson | Power Maxed Racing | Audi |
| Dan Rowbottom | Plato Racing | Mercedes |
| Adam Morgan | Plato Racing | Mercedes |
This move marks British GT champ Collard’s return to the BTCC grid in 2026. Fans will watch how quickly he adapts to the Hyundai package. Filmogaz.com will track his progress through the season.
