Brands Hatch Will Be His Last
Sam Osborne is retiring from the BTCC. NAPA Racing UK confirmed the news ahead of Saturday's Free Practice at Brands Hatch, a day after Tom Chilton announced his own retirement. This weekend's GP finale will be the #77 driver's final outing in the championship after eight seasons on the grid.
Osborne is stepping away to focus on growing his business HsO Flow and on starting a family with his partner. Motorsport "has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember" he said. He signed off his statement by thanking the teams, sponsors and fans who have backed him along the way and hoping to "see you all back on track in the future".
From MG6 Rookie to Race Winner
Osborne arrived in the BTCC in 2019 with EXCELR8 Motorsport in an MG6 after two seasons in the Renault Clio Cup. Points were hard to come by early on and his first top-ten finishes came in 2020. He has made more than 220 BTCC starts since that debut.
The breakthrough came in 2023 when he claimed his maiden podium with a third-place finish. A year later he finished 15th in the standings, the best championship result of his career. Then in 2025 he finally landed the big one with victory in Race 3 at Silverstone, a result he says showed the team could fight with the front runners.
A Tough Final Season
2026 has not been straightforward. Osborne missed the Thruxton weekend in July on medical grounds, with his coach and team reserve Senna Proctor stepping into the Ford Focus. Until then he had never missed a BTCC meeting since his debut. He heads into the finale 18th in the standings with three races left to sign off on.
Two Farewells at Brands
With Chilton also bowing out, Brands Hatch now has two goodbyes on the bill. Osborne has a new chapter waiting as a dad-to-be but he admits he will find it hard to stay away from racing. If you are at the circuit this weekend give the #77 a proper send-off.