Sutton tops the standings after the primary two race weekends, regardless of not claiming any victories in his Alliance Racing-run NAPA Ford Focus ST.
Final yr he claimed a record-equalling fourth BTCC title and likewise tied the season-record wins tally of 12, initially set by Alain Menu in 1997.
Not solely has the facility increase from hybrid and turbo been doubled for 2024, with restrictions for these within the main positions within the championship, however new tyre guidelines mandate the highest 10 from race considered one of a weekend utilizing the toughest obtainable compound from their allocation for race two.
Talking at Manufacturers Hatch after claiming his sixth podium end in six races, Sutton advised Autosport: “The wins are going to be more durable to come back by, the way in which that the foundations work.
“We might have put a gentle on in race one and perhaps challenged [Sutton used the medium tyre and finished third], however it could have been robust.
“The factors have been actually, actually good. Six out of six podiums – it’s phenomenal.
“The best way we’re going to see the championship work is it’s going to return to the years of ballast, the place the championship contenders don’t qualify so effectively, then battle in race one.
“And the way in which the rule works now the place it’s a must to use the more durable tyre for race two, it’s very onerous to hold your self ahead in that race.
“You’ve acquired to have your stars completely aligned or perhaps fortunate with a reversed grid on tyre alternative or one thing like that.”
Ash Sutton
Picture by: JEP
Pre-Manufacturers championship chief Tom Ingram, the one driver aside from Sutton to say a BTCC crown previously 4 seasons, had the heaviest power-boost restriction for qualifying and race one on his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai i30 N, and emerged from the weekend down in third place within the factors.
“We got here into this weekend figuring out we had been going to be four-tenths off pole, and figuring out we had been going to be no less than a tenth and a half off Ash [due to the relative hybrid allowances], there was no denying it,” he mentioned.
“And by the way, that’s precisely the place we had been. That’s how it’s. It was circumstantial as soon as once more.
“Am I aggravated? No, by no means. The hybrid’s doing what it was meant to do. The championship chief at all times will get penalised the worst, the identical as after we had success ballast.”
Speaking in regards to the adjustments within the sporting laws, collection boss Alan Gow advised Autosport: “It’s finished its job – precisely what we thought it could do, with out hammering the rivals too onerous.
“After we had 75kg success ballast, the championship chief would most likely qualify sixteenth round right here [at Brands], however now no less than the drivers have an honest automotive.”
Of Sutton’s efficiency in qualifying fourth, regardless of being allowed simply three seconds per lap of hybrid in comparison with 15s for these exterior the highest seven, Gow added: “Ash is fairly particular. Are you able to think about the place he would have been if he didn’t have the hybrid discount?”