Alliance Racing has revealed the new saloon-style Ford Focus it has developed for use in the 2026 British Touring Car Championship season.
The model, based on the Titanium version of the Focus, replaces the hatchback-style Ford Focus ST with which Ash Sutton won the 2023 title.
Alliance has made use of an impending change to the homologation rules, whereby road-going versions of BTCC car models no longer need be sold in the United Kingdom.
All that is required is for the brand (ie Ford) to produce cars for the British market. Ford ceased production of the Focus in late 2025.
The loosening of the homologation requirements is tabled for 2027 but Alliance has received dispensation to make the move one season early, having received ‘unanimous’ approval from rival teams and series promoter TOCA several months ago.
Alliance has maintained the wheelbase of the Focus ST for the Titanium model, but has made significant changes to the rear of the car with new bodywork to reduce drag.
The Northampton-based team had for a while sought to make the Focus more competitive on the straights.
Alliance Racing chief engineer Tony Carrozza told Racecar in 2025: ‘The problem with the Focus is that it’s a hatchback; it is inherently draggier than the saloon cars.
‘We’re fighting against a nice [BMW] 3-series and a very slippery Hyundai.
‘We can’t compete with that drag coefficient, purely based on the shape of the base road car that we’ve got.’
Alliance has also put the Ford on a diet, although the team hasn’t disclosed how much weight has been removed.
The car will continue to be powered by a Mountune-built 2-litre turbocharged engine.
‘This is an exciting time for the entire team,’ said Carrozza upon the Titanium model’s launch.
‘It was a lengthy process to come to this decision, such were the options we had, but we feel like the saloon version of the Focus is the way to go.
‘The ultimate goal is to reduce aerodynamic drag.
‘We highlighted that as an area we wanted to address last season, and this move to a different shape allows us to do just that; there are many elements that remain the same to the car, however, there will be some fine-tuning required.
‘Everyone involved in this project has done a fantastic job, and now the exciting bit comes next: to head out on track and begin dialling the car into what we hope will be a championship challenger.’
Pete Osborne, Alliance team principal, added: ‘I can’t wait to get going.
‘We’ve had a very busy winter with the team behind the scenes working relentlessly on reworking the Focus into a virtually new car, one that looks stunning.
‘We’ve got a good test programme scheduled in for March, where the drivers and engineers will get to work on understanding the changes to the new car.
‘Everyone is very excited for this year, and we’ll be doing our best to get the number one back on our car.’
Ash Sutton, Dan Cammish, Sam Osborne and Lewis Selby will drive the Ford Focus Titanium in the BTCC this year.
