The British Touring Car Championship has formally opened the tender process for supplying the hybrid system which it will introduce as early as 2021.

BTCC organiser TOCA had previously been looking at introducing hybrid technology to the championship in 2022, possibly with some cars trialling the supplementary source of power in 2020 and 2021.

Its timeline has now been brought forward so long as “key parameters are met” according to a statement from TOCA, which aims to award a contract in the next three months.

The winning bidder would have to supply a “light, cost effective, low-voltage hybrid system with proven durability,” which would add to the horsepower available from the cars’ two-litre engines.

Such a move would make the BTCC the first major touring car series in the world to utilise hybrid technology.

Tickford Racing team principal and Supercars Commission member Tim Edwards last year told Speedcafe.com in regard to some form of electrification in Supercars that “there’s no doubt it’ll happen,” although he could not predict a specific timeframe.

Team Penske’s 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski has written that that hybrids are “essential to the success of the sport” in order to attract and/or retain manufacturer support, and would introduce a whole gamut of strategic and sporting possibilities.

Josh Cook currently leads the BTCC after he Andrew Jordan, and Rory Butcher, claimed a win each in last weekend’s first meeting of 2019 at Brands Hatch.