The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will bring in a new ‘three-strike’ rule for next season in a big to clean up driving standards.
Should a driver receive three penalties for on-track misdemeanors, they will be automatically relegated six grid places.
On-track contraventions of driving standards start from verbal warnings upwards, and the grid penalty will be applied at the first available race. Thereafter, the slate is cleaned and drivers have another three strikes, if they offend again.
This year saw a number of on-track incidents, with races at Oulton Park, Snetterton and Silverstone in particular blighted by poor driving and unnecessary crashes.
A high-profile incident between championship challengers Jason Plato and Matt Neal at Snetterton – where the Honda driver hit the MG sideways, before Plato retaliated and fired the defending champion off at the next corner – with the pair receiving verbal warnings for their action.
At the penultimate race at Silverstone, after a number of black-and-white warning flags were shown, Andy Neate, Lea Wood and Rob Austin were all punished by the stewards.
