Ricky Collard Returns to BTCC With Team VERTU for 2026

A late move puts the British GT winner into the reigning champions’ Hyundai with little time before Donington.

Overview

Team VERTU confirmed the signing on Wednesday, completing its four-car EXCELR8-run lineup with Tom Ingram, Tom Chilton and Nicolas Hamilton.
Collard will sample the Hyundai i30 Fastback N for the first time at the Brands Hatch season launch, with limited running before the Donington Park opener.
He steps into the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ title-winning squad in a car that scored nine victories last season.
The 29-year-old won the 2024 British GT crown and says that success leaves him better prepared for a BTCC return.
He previously logged two full BTCC seasons with Speedworks, taking two podiums and a best championship finish of eighth in 2023, and he once lost a Brands Hatch win to a track limits penalty.