17/09/2026
Following Croft, it’s time to reflect on what has been a fantastic season for Collard as part of the Team VERTU line-up, with seven podium finishes being a remarkable performance considering his time away from the BTCC, and his lack of pre-season testing.
When we signed Ricky at the start of the season, taking account of each other’s commercial position, our agreed plan included the opening five rounds of the year, with an option for Ricky to continue to round eight or ten at his discretion.
After Thruxton we worked closely with Ricky to extend his time at the wheel of the #11 Hyundai and we were very pleased to able to secure him racing till round eight at Croft this weekend, where he once again showed his pace on track with another top three finish.
Between Thruxton and Croft, EXCELR8 finalised plans for the last two rounds of the season with Japanese driver Osamu Kawashima to make his debut in the series.
Although Ricky is not part of the driver line-up for the final two race weekends, he will very much remain part of Team VERTU and will be present at both Silverstone and Brands Hatch, coaching Osamu and acting as Reserve Driver for Team VERTU.
Ricky has shown that he very much deserves to be on the BTCC grid on a full-time basis in 2027, and we are working together in the hope of enabling him to return next year and beyond!
If you would like to help get Ricky back on the grid in 2027 and be displayed on his BTCC race car, then please feel free to contact Justina Williams, Team Owner at [email protected].
