Moffat went off avoiding a rabbit

BTCC's champions on 2014
With Colin Turkington's confirmation and the return of Fabrizio Giovanardi and Alain Menu, there will be seven BTCC champions on the grid this year. AUTOSPORT asked them all what's in store for 2014

By Kevin Turner, Ben Anderson, Marcus Simmons



Fabrizio Giovanardi, Andrew Jordan, Alain Menu, Matt Neal, Jason Plato, Gordon Shedden and Colin Turkington - between them they have 12 BTCC titles and 261 race wins.

It's pretty impressive that the series has managed to line up drivers of that calibre for 2014, and that's before you bring in champions from other series and young rising talent.

But what do the seven title winners themselves make of the season ahead? How strong is the series? And who will be in contention?

FABRIZIO GIOVANARDI
2007 and 2008 champion
2014: Motorbase Ford Focus

"Since I stopped in 2010 I was wanting to race, but the credit crunch made it difficult with the manufacturers. When they finished, they didn't need professional drivers anymore.

"Everyone was waiting for the end of this, but it's taken four years longer for me. Now they've started to recognise they need a really big show, and that means with experienced guys like me that make a big fight.

"Motorbase became a manufacturer and they were looking for the final piece of the jigsaw. I immediately said yes, because I've known them since 2008 and I had good battles with them. They need to win the championship and I can give them this.

"I don't need to race; I need to win. I'm 47 years old - I have no time to lose! Life is short and second for me is nothing!

"I expect to be fighting against the same names, especially in the beginning, because experience gives you the fastest strategy. But Jordan won last year and these young guys are growing up, so I will keep my mind and eyes open."

ANDREW JORDAN
2013 champion
2014: Eurotech Honda Civic

"Five champions is a lot, but seven is really exciting. I think the championship has a real buzz about it - it's better than it's been since I've been a part of it and to be one of the seven is nice.

"It doesn't change our approach – you want to beat everyone. It's going to be the same people in the mix, with a couple more up there, which is going to make being consistent even more important. Last year I did it against four [champions], and to do it against six excites me. Whoever wins will have done a good job.

"With those sorts of drivers they'll bring the cars on pretty quickly. You have to remember that underneath, the Ford and the VW are the same as the MG and Honda. There's only so much you can change, so with the experience Menu and Gio have got I think they'll get there pretty much straight away."

ALAIN MENU
1997 and 2000 champion
2014: Team BMR VW Passat

"I had a few options or possibilities, but the best, the most interesting and challenging one was with Team BMR and the BTCC. [Experienced engineer and old friend] Geoff Kingston was quite instrumental in my decision and the contact came from him.

"Listening to [team boss] Warren Scott, I knew he had the ambition and dedication to turn this team into one of the best. We have the required budget, the right people. I have some experience, so hopefully we can develop quickly.

"I don't think we've got a podium car yet, but we have what's needed to turn it into a good one, and that's part of the challenge.

"WTCC and NGTC are not that different from each other. It's still a front-wheel-drive car and I've been driving them since 1993. The principles are exactly the same.

"It will be nice to see some old faces, old mates again, and there are new, young drivers who look promising. I'm well aware that it's different from 14 years ago, but that difference doesn't mean it's worse!"

MATT NEAL
2005, 2006 and 2011 champion
2014: Works/Dynamics Honda Civic Tourer

"It's going to make it a whole lot harder for me, but it's fantastic for the series. I think they are both class acts and with the NGTC regulations as they are there's no reason everyone can't be up there.

"The championship seems to be up at the moment. The competition certainly isn't getting any less, but we're concentrating on doing our own thing.

"The new Civic Tourer isn't there yet – we're trying to get it set up with the different weight distribution and centre of gravity [to the outgoing hatchback] – but we're working on it."

JASON PLATO
2001 and 2010 champion
2014: Works/Triple Eight MG6

"It's great news for the championship and for the fans. It's nice to get world-class, respected, multiple-champion drivers. It'll take the whole level up. Having them on the grid will only improve the racing and improve the show. And they're characters.

"In terms of Gio and Alain as drivers there's no shadow of a doubt they'll be up there. If they're not it's because they haven't got the tools to do the job, or the engineers.

"Those sorts of drivers, whenever they get in a car, can turn it around. They know what's required and how to make the team work.

"In the mid-2000s you had Yvan Muller, Fabrizio, Darren Turner, Matt, Gordon... it would be unfair to get carried away, but we are at the early stages of a new formula. It's exciting and it's going in the right direction. Praise has got to be given to [series boss] Alan Gow and his team."

GORDON SHEDDEN
2012 champion
2014: Works/Dynamics Honda Civic Tourer

"The more the merrier. Both will be fierce competitors and that's what you want: I've always said I wanted to go up against the best in the world.

"When Alain was with Ford [in the BTCC] it was when I was winning the Fiesta championship and I talked to him a lot about how to get into touring cars. It'll be nice to race against him.

"You don't win as many titles as they have without pulling something out the bag. I think you'll see an upturn in fortunes for those teams. It's about getting the best out of the package and that's what they'll bring.

"Part of the interest this year is that even after the seven champions you've still got some good quality drivers."

COLIN TURKINGTON
2009 champion
2014: WSR BMW 125i M Sport

"I did look at my options at the end of last year – WTCC – but I knew what the right thing was for me. The BTCC is on the up.

"From my time in the series in 2002, I think this will be the strongest year yet. Having seven that have won it before is a huge story.

"I think there are 10 cars that could put together a championship campaign. It's well set up for an entertaining season.

"For 2014 we need a better level of consistency and to be good everywhere, no bogey tracks. We've set our sights to win [the championship] again. We're not thinking it'd be nice to finish in the top three – we want to win."

Q&A with BTCC supremo Alan Gow

How much of a boost is it to have these two ex-champions back – and having seven champions on the grid in total?

It definitely gives some more interest for the media and spectators and gives other drivers a good basis for comparison.

How important is having a bit of international flavour in the series?

Alain and Fabrizio are great drivers – we all know that. But Britain produces some of the very best touring car drivers in the world, so I believe it's far less important where they come from and more important how good they are.

Don't forget that over the years we've had some pretty ordinary international drivers compete here as well.

What does their return and the entry in general say about the NGTC regs?

This is where I can proudly gloat. It speaks volumes about the great NGTC regulations we formulated.

Be in no doubt, the NGTC regulations have had a much more successful introduction than Super Touring did. The simple fact is that we never had this size of grid or diversity of makes and models under Super Touring.

Did you personally get involved to help with those deals?

Other than providing some contact details and having a bit of a chat to the parties, no.

Do you think any more international stars could be attracted to the BTCC again?

If they think they are good enough, yes. But what I would not like to see is the BTCC become a refuge for international drivers who don't have anywhere else to go.

I'm much more interested in building the stars of tomorrow and keeping them in the BTCC so the public and media can really engage with them more, rather than a driver being a transient component of the championship.