Jake Hill Seals Maiden Championship in Thrilling 2024 BTCC Finale

Photo courtesy of Carr Photography

The British Touring Car Championship promised a dramatic climax to this year's title race and it delivered in spectacular style as Jake Hill soared to victory to claim his very first BTCC Driver's championship.

In one of the closes title battles in BTCC history, Hill and 2022 champ Tom Ingram went into the weekend level on points, with As Sutton, Colin Turkington and Dan Cammish all also still considered as outsiders in the hotly-contested battle for the crown.

Photo courtesy of Official Colin Turkington Facebook page

Qualifying

In the final Quick Six qualifying session of this year's campaign, it was Team BMW's journeyman Colin Turkington who claimed pole position, his 4th of the season and in doing so earning himself this year's Goodyear Wingfoot award.

Turkington would line up on the front row in Race One on Sunday with team-mate Jake Hill's main title rival Tom Ingram, as Hill could only manage a sixth-placed start. This would give Turkington the perfect opportunity to prove how valuable a wing-man he could be for Hill, by trying to keep Ingram at bay as the Laser Tools Man looked to move forward once the lights go out on Sunday.

Colin Turkington said: "That's my fourth pole of the year and it was important to get myself up there ahead of the main protagonists. It's obviously great to be on pole, I've completed better laps than that, but it was obviously good enough. It's a good place to start from tomorrow so that's the first part of the job done. My job tomorrow will be pretty much the same, I'll be trying to win the race, but let's get through lap one and then adjust the strategy from there. I'm pretty privileged to win the Goodyear Wingfoot Award – it's the third time I've won it – so it's testament to all the hard work by everyone at Team BMW."

Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)

Race One (Round 28)

The battle at the top took another twist pretty much from the off as Ingram made a slow start off the line, giving NAPA Racing UK's Ash Sutton and LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ's Josh Cook an opportunity to catch him on the inside. However, Cook's Toyota Corolla slid whilst trying to execute his move, making contact with Sutton and gathering Ingram, Team BMW's Adam Morgan and Toyota GAZOO Racing UK's Rob Huff in the process.

As a result, Ingram suddenly found himself down in ninth with another battle at hand to regain positions to put him closer to Jake Hill, who found himself in second behind Turkington by this point.

Once the safety car returned to the pits, Team BMW called the play that everyone predicted as Turkington allowed Hill to pass in front. With Ingram pulling out another sublime drive to power back up to third, the Northern Irishman showed his worth as Hill's wingman with some tremendous defensive displays to keep the Team Bristol Street Motors man at bay to allow Hill to pick up the vital victory, his 8th of the season, and marginally extending his championship lead to 5 points ahead of Race Two.

Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing said: "What a fantastic start to the day. A huge thank you to Colin [Turkington], because he's the best team-mate I could have ever asked for, a huge thank you to WSR and Laser Tools with MB Motorsport, that's what teamwork is all about. It was just a case of managing the rear tyres, we may not have the outright pace but we had enough to get the job done. It just fills you with confidence moving forward, we start on pole now for race two, so it's going to be exciting."

Tom Ingram, Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS, said: "I don't really know what happened (with the accident on lap one) but it's unfortunately just one of those things. I'm alright with it, I'm absolutely fine because we've got more hybrid now than we did in the first race, so we're actually in a better position. The car is feeling really strong, it's only race one, and it's all still to play for."

Round 28 Result - Top Ten
1 24 Jake HILL Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 18 30:59.950
2 20 Colin TURKINGTON Team BMW 18 31:01.055 +1.105s
3 80Tom INGRAM Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS 18 31:02.092 +2.142s
4 88 Mikey DOBLE Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing 18 31:03.325 +3.375s
5 27 Dan CAMMISH NAPA Racing UK 18 31:09.856 +9.906s
6 40 Árón TAYLOR-SMITH Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing 18 31:10.811 +10.861s
7 18 Daryl DELEON Duckhams Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport 18 31:11.841 +11.891s
8 32 Daniel ROWBOTTOM NAPA Racing UK 18 31:14.508 +14.558s
9 3 Tom CHILTON Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS 18 31:15.340 +15.39s
10 11 Andrew WATSON TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK 18 31:18.892 +18.942s

Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)

Race Two (Round 29)

Excitement and tension was guaranteed to go down to the wire after the result in Race Two saw Tom Ingram claw back the championship deficit to just one point behind leader Hill.

A blistering start off the line by Ingram saw him surge past Colin Turkington into second on the first lap, and then slide past Hill on the next tour. It was just another display which showed the Team Bristol Street Motors man's tenacity and determination, which has seen him turn in some classic drives already this season.

NAPA Racing UK's Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish finished in fourth and fifth respectively to keep the battle with Colin Turkington for third in the standings well and truly open heading into the final race.

By virtue of the traditional reverse grid draw, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ's Josh Cook was to start on pole in the final race of the season.

​​Tom Ingram said: "Wow, amazing, what can I say... it's on! I was so pumped for that, honestly this car is so good - it's an absolute pleasure."

Jake Hill said: "We're still there. One point now isn't it, oh god! We are in for one thrilling last round aren't we!"

Round 29 Result - Top Ten
​
1 80 Tom INGRAM Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS 15 22:59.111 
2 24 Jake HILL Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 15 23:00.532 +1.421s
3 20 Colin TURKINGTON Team BMW 15 23:00.874 +1.763s
4 27 Dan CAMMISH NAPA Racing UK 15 23:05.127 +6.016s
5 1 Ashley SUTTON NAPA Racing UK 15 23:06.819 +7.708s
6 40 Árón TAYLOR-SMITH Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing 15 23:15.403 +16.292s
7 66 Josh COOK LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ 15 23:15.757 +16.646s
8 16 Aiden MOFFAT LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ 15 23:16.031 +16.921s
9 3 Tom CHILTON Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS 15 23:16.874 +17.763s
10 77 Sam OSBORNE NAPA Racing UK 15 23:18.396 +19.285s

Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)

Race Three (Round 30)

All eyes were on the two title contenders at the start of the race, with Hill and Ingram starting in sixth and seventh on the grid respectively. Ingram appeared to have the early advantage but as the rain fell on the famed Brands Hatch GP circuit, Hill just had to bide his time for the tyres of his BMW 330e M Sport to reach their optimum temperature.

On the fifth tour, both were battling for fourth place when Hill pulled off a masterful slingshot manoeuvre around the outside of Ingram at Surtees, completing the challenge at Hawthorns to take the place. Hill then just had to keep his #24 running straight ahead and never put another foot wrong as he climbed to take second behind eventual winner Ash Sutton, claiming his first-ever BTCC Driver's championship in the process and bringing to a close one of the most hotly-contested seasons ever.

Jake Hill said: “2024 BTCC Champion sounds amazing. It just hasn’t sunk in yet, it’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more. I’m overwhelmed, the support has been incredible, I’m speechless. 
“The emotions started to hit me as I made my way to the last corner at Clearways, I was getting a bit teary eyed there – we just brought it home. As we crossed the line it was just an amazing experience.
We’ve had a great race and an amazing weekend, and it happened when I needed it most. It’s made everything worth it; it has been such a fight the last 15 years to even stay on the grid and now we’ve made it happen!”

With team-mate Colin Turkington crossing the line in fourth, ahead of Dan Cammish and Tom Ingram, Team BMW also sealed their tenth Manufacturer's championship on what would be a momentous day for West Surrey Racing, Team BMW, MB Motorsports and Laser Tools Racing.

All of us here at F1 Journal would like to extend our congratulations to Jake Hill and all involved in their championship successes. We simply cannot wait to see what 2025 will bring!

Round 30 Result - Top Ten

11 Ashley SUTTON NAPA Racing UK 15 25:36.18
2 24 Jake HILL Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport 15 25:46.453 +10.269s
3 66 Josh COOK LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ 15 25:47.914 +11.730s
4 27 Dan CAMMISH NAPA Racing UK 15 25:53.332 +17.148s
5 20 Colin TURKINGTON Team BMW 15 25:54.523 +18.339s
6 80 Tom INGRAM Team BRISTOL STREET MOTORS 15 25:57.891 +21.707s
7 77 Sam OSBORNE NAPA Racing UK 15 25:59.185 +23.001s
8 11 Andrew WATSON TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK 15 +26:00.129s
9 16 Aiden MOFFAT LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ 15 26:00.544 +24.360s
10 33 Adam MORGAN Team BMW 15 26:02.872 +26.688s


Chris Tetreault-Blay
​BTCC Journalist @ F1 Journal