As at Donington, there will be a Top Ten Showdown qualifying session which you can watch online on Saturday 23 October.

It involves an initial 25-minute session followed by a 10-minute ‘Showdown’. For that, lap times are reset and the top 10 from the first session have another crack at pole position. It’s a bit like F1 qualifying, only with two rounds instead of three.

Here’s how to catch the action on TV and online.

When is the next BTCC race?

Sunday 24 October, Brands HatchCoverage starts at 10. 45am on ITV4 and ITV. com/BTCCQualifying live online: 2. 50pm Saturday 23 October

TV coverage

This weekend, coverage will be on ITV4 (and ITV4 HD) as usual.

The entire event will be broadcast from 10.45am until 6.35pm – including support races, so you can watch all day long from the comfort of your armchair.

If you want to watch in HD, you’ll need to have Sky or Virgin, as ITV 4 HD isnn’t available on Freeview or Freesat, only the standard-definition versions.

Here’s the provisional timetable (TV coverage only):

11:30    British Touring Car Championship (Round 28)12:10    Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain   13:05    Ginetta Junior championship13:40    F4 British championship14:30    British Touring Car Championship (Round 29)15:10    Ginetta GT4 SuperCup Championship         15:45    Mini Challenge16:20    Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain  17:15    British Touring Car Championship (Round 27)

Stream BTCC races online

You can also watch races live online at ITV.com/BTCC. If you miss the races live, it’s possible to watch replays on ITV’s website and highlights are shown on ITV4, which are then available on ITV Hub, usually the following Saturday.

BTCC is now also on MotorTrend as part of the new Wide World of Speed motorsports block, and you can watch starting at 4pm ET.

How to watch BTCC qualifying in 2021

Saturday 23 October from 2. 50pm

The Saturday qualifying session isn’t broadcast on TV, so you’ll have to watch online. Head to ITV’s website and you can watch along with the timing information in a web browser on your PC, phone or tablet.

You can also see live timing on the official BTCC website and in the BTCC app, which is available for iPhone and Android.

BTCC calendar 2021

The championship will visit 8 different circuits, with two visits to Thruxton and the traditional two different circuit layouts at Brands Hatch – the season will end with Brands Hatch GP as usual.

BTCC 2021 teams and drivers

There’s a full-capacity grid, with Jack Mitchell taking Glynn Geddie’s seat with Team Hard. Note that Matt Neal isn’t driving in 2021 and Dan Cammish has also left Team Dymanics – he made an appearance for the first round only, standing in for Michael Crees whose seat has now been taken by Senna Proctor.

Here’s the full rundown.

BTCC podcasts

How to watch BTCC outside the UK with a VPN

If you’re not in the UK, you won’t be able to watch BTCC without a VPN. That’s because, since Brexit, not even the paid-for ITV Hub+ service is available outside the UK.

A VPN can make it appear that you’re located in the same country as the broadcaster when you connect to a server in the UK.

We recommend using  NordVPN,  Surfshark or  CyberGhost. Last time we checked, all three successfully unblocked ITV, but also have 24/7 live chat support if you do encounter any issues.

Read our guide to the  best VPN services for more information.

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Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.