BTCC: Finn Leslie to join Toyota Gazoo Racing for Oulton Park

After the shocking announcement that Ronan Pearson would not compete this weekend due to commercial reasons, Toyota have confirmed that Finn Leslie would be taking his place for the Oulton Park weekend.

Leslie began his career in karting, finding success early on making his way up the junior ladder. He would go on to claim the Kartmasters Grand Prix title in 2022 before making his way into cars in 2023. He would start off his car racing career in the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship where on debut he would take victory before he went on to secure the Mk7 Class crown.

The 17-year-old will make his debut in the BTCC this weekend at Oulton Park at Speedworks Motorsport home circuit where the car has seen success with two wins in the last couple of years at the circuit.

Leslie will join three time BTCC Champion Gordon Shedden, reigning Independents trophy winner Árón Taylor-Smith and 2022 GT3 Silver/Am Cup winner in British GT James Dorlin this weekend as the team will look to score their best results of the season this weekend at Oulton Park.

Christian Dick, Team Principal of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said: “First and foremost, we are pleased to welcome Finn to the team this weekend. He initially came onto our radar when he was competing in the Fiesta Junior Championship; he was a step above the drivers he was racing against, and when he then moved up to senior-level competition in TCR and immediately finished on the podium, it was clear that he is a very promising young talent indeed and somebody to keep an eye on.

“We didn’t expect an opportunity to come around so quickly, but it has, and while we could have plumped for a more established and experienced driver, we wanted to give Finn a shot and this represents a superb chance for him to showcase his skills on a major stage. Having only had a very limited amount of running in the Corolla, he faces a tall order at Oulton, but everything we’ve seen so far suggests he is more than up to the task.

“Speaking more generally, it’s a huge weekend for us as a team. The local crowd is always right behind us, which generates a fantastic atmosphere and it’s not too far from Toyota’s Deeside engine plant either, so we get a lot of support from the guys and girls at the factory as well.

“We know we’ve still got work to do, but having got ourselves into a position now where we are racing inside the top ten, I’d like to think we can take a similar step forward to the one we took two weeks ago at Thruxton and push for even stronger results still.”

After the announcement, Finn Leslie said: “Firstly, it’s a pleasure and an honour for me to join a team that has achieved so much success in the BTCC as Speedworks and with the support of such a major manufacturer as Toyota. When you add in the experience of my team-mates at TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA, I really couldn’t ask for a better place to be making my debut in the series. Oulton Park is also somewhere I like racing and where I have always gone well.

“Growing up watching it on TV, it’s been a lifelong dream of mine to compete in this championship – it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since the beginning of my career – so to be able to say I’ll be on the grid this weekend is an incredible opportunity and honestly means the world to me. It’s a dream come true.”