Aron Taylor-Smith joins TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK for 2025 BTCC

• Reigning BTCC Independents champion Taylor-Smith joins manufacturer-backed Toyota squad for 2025
• Irish talent targets podiums and outright race victories in Speedworks Motorsport-run Corolla GR Sport Challenger
• New season alongside TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK teammate Ronan Pearson begins at Donington Park on 27/28 April

Aron Taylor-Smith embarks on an exciting new chapter in the 2025 British Touring Car Championship with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK.

The Irishman joins the Speedworks Motorsport-run outfit fresh from being crowned Independents Champion at Brands Hatch last autumn, after a silverware-laden campaign including 20 class victories, and two visits to the outright podium.

Taylor-Smith’s consistency, as much as his speed and racecraft, also turned heads up and down the pit lane, with the 35-year-old the only driver to score points in each of the 30 races last campaign, no mean feat on one of the most competitive grids in world motorsport.

His reward is a seat in one of the team’s manufacturer-backed Toyota Corolla GR Sport challengers, one of the most successful touring cars in the modern-day BTCC, with 17 victories, 30 further podiums, five pole positions and 10 fastest laps since being introduced to the category in 2019.

It marks the latest exciting chapter in something of a career renaissance for Taylor-Smith, as he seeks to add to the four race wins, 22 podiums and almost 1,500 career points enjoyed over almost 300 race starts since making his BTCC debut back in 2011.

Pre-season testing alongside new teammate Ronan Pearson will begin in the coming weeks, ahead of the season opener at Donington Park on 27/28 April.

Aron Taylor-Smith, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK said:

“It’s an incredible feeling, to be stood here as a TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK driver for 2025. This is without a doubt one of the proudest days of my career.

“When I met with Christian [Dick] and Danny [Buxton], it was clear right from the start that they’ve conducted a really exciting development programme over the winter with the Corolla GR Sport, and it was already one of the most competitive cars on the grid to begin with! I’m hugely grateful to them for the faith they’ve put in me. This is an incredibly motivated team, with some of the best staff in the business and a real ‘family feel’ to it, and I can say with absolute confidence already that all the ingredients are in place here to make this a success. Their track record over the years speaks for itself. I’ve only ever wanted a chance to fight for the outright title, and I firmly believe that joining forces with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK and Speedworks Motorsport gives me the perfect environment to go on and create that opportunity for myself. There’s no reason we can’t be fighting for podiums and race wins this season.”

“Having spent the past two years trying to beat the manufacturer-backed cars, it’ll be a surreal feeling being among them, but that only motivates me more to go out and put on a real show. I can’t wait to get going and have my first laps in the Corolla GR Sport out on track!”

Christian Dick, Team Principal, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK said:

“We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Aron to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK as one of our drivers for the 2025 BTCC season. It became clear from our very first conversations with Aron that he’s a fantastic fit for Speedworks Motorsport, and vice versa. Aron’s received a lot of praise for his results over the past two seasons – and rightly so – but we absolutely believe in the right car, he can be regularly fighting for podiums and race victories, as he has done in the past. In my opinion, we’re yet to see him at his very best, which is hugely exciting for us at the beginning of this partnership. It’s important to never stand still in the BTCC; the rate of development can leave you behind very quickly. So, even though last season was the most successful yet for the Toyota Corolla GR Sport with five race wins, it’s important we continue to develop the package, and we feel we’ve taken further steps forward in that regard.”

“We’re incredibly excited to have a driver of Aron’s ability, experience and calibre within the team, and we have every confidence he can be a real asset to the team and help drive us on to even greater heights in 2025 and beyond.”

BTCC Press Release: Aron Taylor-Smith signs for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK in 2025