The British Touring Car Championship makes its second stop to Donington Park of the 2026 campaign, this time racing the GP layout, as the fall of Plato Racing dominates the headlines.
Where to start? It has been some week for the BTCC circus.
Plato Racing entered administration on Monday, just days after the squad’s breakthrough 1-2 at Knockhill, with title sponsor Cataclean funding the outfit in the interim.
Elsewhere, James Dorlin has been forced to step down from his Restart Racing seat, with budget hurdles prematurely ending his campaign. In his place, however, is reigning Independent Drivers’ Champion Dan Lloyd.
Funding struggles pushed Lloyd himself out of a race seat for 2026, but the five-time BTCC winner is back after a fan returned the race suit he raffled at the end of last season.
Dan Lloyd ‘absolutely buzzing’ to step into the Restart Racing Hyundai
Donington Park GP will mark Lloyd’s second ‘debut’ in the Hyundai i30N, in a popular move amongst fans of the series.
Lloyd claimed Restart Racing’s first and only victory at Silverstone in 2025, and will be hoping to end his season on a similarly positive note.
“First of all, I want to say that I know this is a difficult situation for James,” Lloyd conceded.
“I’ve been in that position myself before in my career and I know how tough it can be. He’s a very talented driver and a great guy, and I genuinely wish him all the best for whatever comes next.
“From my side, I’m absolutely buzzing to be coming back.
“Restart Racing feels like home to me and what we achieved together last year was something I’ll never forget. To win the team’s first outright BTCC race and then finish the year as Independent Champion was incredibly special.”
Despite the misfortune of his exit, Dorlin will be leaving Restart on a positive note after his superb Thruxton weekend – where he collected two Independents’ victories and the Jack Sears Trophy.
“I’d like to thank Pete, Chris and everyone at Restart Racing for the opportunity and for all of the work they have put in during my time with the team,” Dorlin said.
“There have been some challenging moments this year, but also some really positive ones, and Thruxton in particular showed what we were capable of when everything came together.”
READ MORE: Dan Lloyd replaces James Dorlin at Restart Racing for rest of 2026
Jason Plato departs the BTCC as eponymous squad undergoes administration and rebrand
Court documents released on Monday revealed that Plato Racing Limited, the company behind Cataclean Plato Racing, had entered administration.
These documents were accompanied by the listing of ‘Project Speed’ by Pantera Valuations, advertising the BTCC squad for sale. In the listing, a loss of over £800,000 since its inception was uncovered.
Quickly allaying fan fears, Tuesday saw Cataclean and TOCA announce that the team would complete the 2026 season.
However, the team would be renamed to CPRL, see Plato depart, and lose its striking purple accents for an all-black design.
In an exclusive comment to Motorsport Week, Arafino Advisory Limited confirmed that the intentions are for business to be ‘as normal’ until the company is rescued.
“The Company is continuing to trade in Administration under the control of the Joint Administrators, with the objective of achieving a rescue of the business as a going concern.
“At present, the Company continues to operate as normal and the intention is for the team to compete at forthcoming race events, including this weekend’s event at Donington Park, albeit under a different name – CPRL.”
READ MORE: Plato Administrators: BTCC team operating ‘as normal’ amid rescue
Schedule and weather for the BTCC’s outing at Donington Park
Saturday and Sunday will see slightly later running than usual, with Free Practice kicking off at 11:00.
Qualifying and the Race to Pole will follow at 14:05 and 15:05, broadcast in the UK on ITV Sport Extra’s YouTube channel.
On Sunday, Race 1 begins at 11:45, followed by Race 2 at 14:45, and the ever-exciting Race 3 at 17:30. All of Sunday’s action, including support series, will be broadcast live on ITV4 and ITVX in the UK.
Fortunately, the weather is predicted to not play a part in the weekend’s proceedings, with no rain and temperatures not scorching.
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