Matt Neal takes a back seat role for latest championship battle

The three-time champion, with more than 700 race starts, will not be part of the entry for the first time since making his BTCC debut back in 1991.

But the 54-year-old, from Stourbridge, will continue to support Team Dynamics – who will be represented by Gordon Shedden and Dan Rowbottom for 2021, with Neal acting as a mentor.

Rowbottom’s arrival comes part of a multi-year partnership between long-time team sponsor Halfords and Rowbottom’s own long-time sponsor Cataclean, with both Honda and Yuasa choosing to step away.

Neal explained: “We worked on finding an alternative, another commercial partner, and that was Cataclean, which is great.

“Cataclean comes with a driver, which is Dan, and we’re hopeful of really good things with him.

“We’d got the sponsorship in place to keep me in and run a third car, but then that got vetoed by some of the other teams.

“Then, the series boss, Alan Gow stood by the other teams and wouldn’t allow us.

“It is what it is, and we’ll try to make the team as strong as we can.

“It’s not a retirement. It’s just a different year ahead for me, so we’ll see.”

Neal will be watching closely while he hopes Team Dynamics will continue to fight at the sharp end of the grid.

“Covid has had a big impact on a lot of companies – if not at the time, then in the aftermath,” said Neal.

“Honda is one of those. The auto racing world is a changing place.

“I still love the brand and the people there, but it’s sort of been cut loose going forward.”

Neal added: “A few other things have come out of the woodwork. It’s not that I won’t be racing at all. I just won’t be in the BTCC.

“It’s a shame because you’d have to look pretty hard to find another race series that gives you the adrenaline rush of the BTCC.

“But I’ll still be there. I’ll still be around.”