James Dorlin fills final Toyota Gazoo Racing UK seat

GT racer James Dorlin has been revealed as the final driver for Toyota Gazoo Racing UK in this year’s British Touring Car Championship, partnering Gordon Shedden, Ronan Pearson and Árón Taylor-Smith at the Speedworks Motorsport-run team.

The 25-year-old won the Junior Saloon Car Championship in a Citroën Saxo back in 2014, before graduating to the Michelin Clio Cup Series the following year.

Dorlin won the Michelin Clio Cup Series title in 2016, before moving up to the main Renault UK Clio Cup in 2017. He was runner-up in 2018 and then switched to focus on GT racing, joining the British GT Championship in 2019.

In 2020, Dorlin won the inaugural Porsche Spring Challenge GB, and in 2022 he won the Silver / AM Cup of the British GT Championship in his first year racing in a GT3 car.

The Barnsley racer has also competed in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and GT Cup Championship.

His recruitment means 2012 World Touring Car Champion Rob Huff is out of the BTCC after just one season back, with the 45-year-old focussing on his historic racing and business interests in 2025.

“It feels like this has been a long time coming,” said Dorlin. “The BTCC has always been something I’ve aspired to, and back when I was racing in the Clio Cup, the natural progression was to go into touring cars, but then I got the opportunity to join the McLaren Young Driver Programme, which was obviously something I couldn’t pass up.

“That sent me down the sportscar route instead and put my BTCC ambitions on the backburner for a while, so it’s great to finally get the chance to join the championship – and with a manufacturer-backed team, too. It really doesn’t get much better than that!

“Danny [Buxton, Speedworks Head of Motorsport] and I have always had a good relationship, and when he asked me what my plans were for 2025, I told him I wanted to go racing again properly – over the past couple of seasons, I’ve not really had much seat time aside from the odd outing here and there.

“When he subsequently presented me with an opportunity to join Speedworks and Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, I immediately knew I needed to pull out all the stops to make it happen.

“Realistically, it’s going to be a huge challenge and I have a lot to take on-board. The BTCC is a very different proposition to GT racing and a different kind of beast to tame, but that flat-out push and no-holds-barred battle from the moment the lights go out to the moment the chequered flag falls is something I’ve really missed since stepping away from the TOCA package.

“In recent years, I’ve driven solely rear wheel-drive, so switching back to front wheel-drive will take a bit of getting used to.

“I’m sure I’ll soon settle into the groove, and while the majority of the drivers on the grid have been doing this for much longer than I have, I’ve probably raced against most of them at some stage during my career, so it will be good to compete with them again.

“I’m super-excited to get going, and I’m ready for the challenge that lies ahead. In Gordon, Árón and Ronan, I’ve got three very strong team-mates, and I’m really looking forward to working with them all and learning as much as I can from their experience in touring cars.

“I won’t get chance to do much pre-season testing but spending two years away from the cut-and-thrust has given me all the hunger in the world to hit the ground running, create a good impression and really make a success out of this.

“A lot of people have put in a huge effort to make it happen – not least my loyal partner, What The Fork, without whom this certainly wouldn’t have been possible.

“I’m ready to give my absolute all and work hard to repay them and Toyota Gazoo Racing UK for their faith in me. Ultimately, the reason I’m doing this is to win!”

Speedworks Team Principal Christian Dick will have a completely new driver line-up for the second season in succession, but is looking forward to working with Dorlin.

“We’re delighted to finalise our line-up for the new BTCC season, and to do so with a driver of James’ calibre is a real coup,” said Dick.

“He comes highly recommended by Speedworks’ Head of Motorsport, Danny Buxton, who worked closely with him at McLaren and has a keen eye for spotting genuine talent, and his career CV speaks for itself.

“Having never driven a touring car before, he knows he will need to get quickly up-to-speed – particularly given the hectic and unique nature of BTCC race weekends – but he is absolutely the real deal and I am very confident he will soon develop into a leading contender.

“Although he is still only in his mid-twenties, James has already accumulated a great deal of knowledge from competing in different championships and different cars, all of which will help to ease his acclimatisation to the Toyota Corolla and the BTCC.

“Together with Gordon, Árón and Ronan, I firmly believe we have the perfect blend of youth and experience on the driving strength this year – meaning the target for the forthcoming season can be nothing less than trophies and titles.”