BTCC boss Alan Gow voices concern over driving standards

British Touring Car Championship boss Alan Gow has voiced his displeasure in some of the driving standards witnessed following an incident-packed Silverstone weekend.

Once again the topic of driving standards has become a prominent talking point after a series of incidents during the penultimate weekend of the season warranted a variety of penalties of being dished out, which has prompted leading figures within the paddock in expressing their concern over the situtation.

Race day had already begun with MG driver Josh Cook serving a race ban following a fourth penalty strike at Rockingham, while a major shunt in race two sent both Rob Collard and Will Burns to hospital, from which they have both been discharged.

Whilst Gow recognises the close nature of touring car racing does lend to 'some degree of minor contact' the series director warned that tougher sanctions may be implemented if the situation doesn't improve.

"I’m not happy at all with the amount of contact and resulting body damage – despite the fact that we have clearly been increasing the amount and severity of penalties for driving infringements,” he said. “We’ve had more and greater penalties this year than in any season I can remember," said Gow.

"Yes of course when there are 32 cars blanketed by just nine tenths during qualifying then it’s almost inevitable that some degree of minor contact and mistakes will occur – some drivers are truly superb to watch in close duels, but many simply don’t give enough ‘racing room’ to each other. 

"So we will keep issuing increasingly tougher penalties where it is warranted, but by then of course the incident has already occurred. The harsh reality is that it’s the drivers themselves who have to take sole responsibility for their own actions. After all, those are the guys who are driving the cars and making the decisions that lead to making contact, or not, with another car  – not us.

"We have a teams meeting next month and this subject will be at the very top of my agenda. Personally I’m in favour of ‘lowering the bar’ even further in terms of drivers accruing a race ban, along with introducing other harsher sanctions, and I look forward to hearing what the teams and drivers will also do to help us remove unnecessary contact. It can actually be changed quite quickly, largely with a simple change in mindset and attitude from some drivers and teams.  We will sort it out…"