The 2022 British Touring Car Championship season concludes this weekend at Brands Hatch, with three races set to be held this Sunday on the Grand Prix configuration.

It's been another exciting year in the series, and one that has seen a big change in the form of hybrid technology used for the first time, whilst the title is still yet to be decided ahead of the final three rounds.

For Toyota Gazoo Racing UK driver Rory Butcher, meanwhile, it's been a good year, with him currently sat fifth in the standings and heading to Brands on the back of a brilliant performance at Silverstone, which saw him on pole and achieve a triple podium, including a win in race one.

Ahead of the season finale, then, we caught up with Rory to talk all things BTCC and we started by looking at his year as a whole:

"It's been potentially my strongest campaign yet, just in terms of overall performance across the whole year. I feel there was a lot of things outside of our control in the first half of the season but we still managed to kind of rack up the points.

"I've been in this championship for five years and every year I've learned something new. This year my goal was consistency and we've got the longest streak of any driver of points-scoring finishes at the moment. I think it's 26 in a row, which is cool. We've had some nice podiums and then the pole position and the triple podium, including my race win, at Silverstone.

"I think the season was probably just lacking a win but at the same time, I wasn't getting stressed out about it. I've had wins and pole positions for the last three seasons so, for me, consistency was what I was working on and we seem to be getting there."

That triple podium last time out naturally represents a high point in Butcher's season, especially given how infrequent they are in a series like BTCC:

"I think it was a first for the team as well, I don't think they'd ever had a triple podium. I'll be honest, I can't think of one happening in the current field in the last four or five years. I know there have been triple podiums, but it doesn't come often. I wasn't expecting to get third in race three. It was the reverse grid so I started further down in seventh. My goal was to go forward but I didn't expect to be coming home in third, it was great!"

Momentum is obviously with Butcher after such a result, then, but Brands offers a different challenge to Silverstone meaning whilst there was great success last time out, that isn't guaranteed to follow this weekend:

"These cars are really quite sensitive to different surfaces, different tarmac, different conditions, temperatures and so on and we've really hit the nail on the head with the set-up at Silverstone so it's just a dream to drive.

"There are a couple of weak circuits for us and it's just frustrating that we can't find that same feeling. I would say Brands Hatch might be our weakest circuit of the year but the good thing is we're aware of that, and we're going into this weekend experimenting and keeping an open mind and trying different things with the set-up.

"What's good for me is I've got a quick teammate in Ricky Collard. It means I can trust him to go and test out a different set-up on the car, and bring back some good feedback. And if what they've found on that side of the garage is a better set-up then I'll be quite happy switching over to that for qualifying or race one.

"One thing that's quite interesting is we had a wet race at Brands earlier in the year and the car in the wet was mega, so if it were to rain I'd be going in feeling bloody good! But I think it's going to be dry."

As mentioned, this weekend also brings the curtain down on the first BTCC season that has used hybrid technology, replacing the old ballast-based system as a way of adding tactics and strategy to the racing.

It's something that Butcher has enjoyed using, too, with it giving more control to the drivers during a race in terms of strategy than dealing with ballast did, with them having varying levels of extra power available to them based on previous performance, similar to ballast in that respect.

"I think ballast was out of the driver's control before and I think it had a big effect on the performance of the car, and it would definitely hold back the more successful drivers.

"The hybrid system is down to the driver on where they use it and really how early they use it as well coming out of corners so we have a bit more of a part to play and there are other things like we've got to try and save our battery usage across the race and be quite strategic in the use of it, so there's a lot more to think about.

"In some ways, it took a wee while to get used to. I remember the first couple of rounds I was still getting my head around it all but it's now second nature and I think it's been quite positive for the series.

"Going forward, it'd be nice to have maybe a little bit more oomph from the hybrid system. Only to help spice the racing up, because we've got 30 cars on the grid and we're all going around the track at pretty much the same lap time and this year in particular it's been very hard to overtake so yeah, I think that'd be on my Christmas wish list for next year!"

Whilst it's been the first year of hybrids, it's been Rory's second year as part of the Toyota team, with the Gazoo Racing brand recognisable in a number of motorsport disciplines like WEC and WRC, and he's clearly enjoying his time there:

"It's been really, really cool. I think what's been nice is having a second season, because it took me a little while to get used to the Corolla and settle into the team. But since then, in having a second year, I've been able to get a bit closer with Toyota themselves and it's been nice to become a bit more part of the family.

"Also it was nice to kind of develop the car to suit me and my driving style. I think what Toyota really bring to the party is probably just security for the team, year on year having their back and also just being associated with them, it gives us a little bit of kudos.

"We get stuff from Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe and all that expertise filters down from there, and into the team, the engineers, and then obviously into the drivers as well.

"It'd be really nice to get a third season so plan A is to retain my contract with the team because we've got some really cool things in place. And, again, this is being part of the manufacturer, I know that some developments are going to be coming for next year, which is quite exciting and hopefully will give us an edge over everybody."

As Butcher has referred to there, he's looking to get a new contract sorted with the team for 2023. We asked him, then, what the process was for getting a fresh deal in BTCC:

"Discussions start to happen probably in the second half of the year, that's when talks begin. And then ideally you want to try and have your contract signed not too long after the final event and the very latest before the Christmas break.

"I think it's really nice to have that done and dusted before you go on the Christmas break. However, I have had deals done as late as late February/early March and the winter is just nerve-racking! You've got lots of irons in the fire but nothing confirmed so I don't like going through winters like that.

"There are probably a few drivers on the grid with multi-year deals but one thing I think about that is you've got that security but, at the same time, it's quite a fickle sport and in some ways, even for a driver, it's quite nice to know that you have opportunity to move on at the end of the next year. A multi-year contract is not necessarily something that I'm racing to get just because things change and so on. So it's good to have that flexibility."

Before we let Rory go so he can start really focusing on this weekend's action, then, there's just time to ask him what else he gets up to during the off-season, alongside hoping to sort out a new contract.

A racing driver instructor as well as BTCC competitor, that's going to keep him occupied in the months ahead, and it sounds as though there's plenty more besides to be sorted out:

"I've got some coaching duties still happening into the winter. I've got one client in particular where we'll be doing some training over the winter for next year. I might be heading out to Abu Dhabi for a 12-hour race as well, so that could happen and then aside from that I'm keeping fit and training.

"There's also a lot of personal sponsorship stuff that will need taken care of. So all the housework, contracts and sponsors re-signed. And before you know, it, start of February, I will be back in the race car testing again for next season.

"There's still a little bit of racing to do, there's training, there are sponsors and then there's Christmas, and it all comes quite quick.

"Quite often I do feel ready for the winter break but I have to say I feel like I've still got that bit more in me this year and I don't know if it's just a different approach or just focusing on consistency. I just feel like I've got two or three more rounds and I could probably still keep going so it's a shame it's ended so soon."

With that said, Butcher will be looking to end the year on a high note at Brands Hatch, with three races held at the iconic circuit on Sunday alongside a packed support schedule.

You can catch the action this weekend on ITV Sport or head to the circuit where tickets are still available on the gate for both Saturday and Sunday, with the BTCC champion still needing to be crowned!