BTCC: James Dorlin completes Toyota Gazoo Racing Lineup

The final part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing lineup has been confirmed as Speedworks Motorsport have announced that James Dorlin will join the lineup for their 2025 campaign.

The Yorkshireman will join three-time BTCC Champion Gordon Shedden, reigning Independents Champion Árón Taylor-Smith and young star Ronan Pearson in a four-car strong assault on the BTCC. All three of his teammates are no stranger to success in the BTCC, all race winners in their own right and looking to add to their record in 2025.

Dorlin, at just 25 years of age, has made quite a success of himself already in Motorsport with him sealing the runner-up spot in the Renault UK Clio Cup in 2018, a season where he equaled the most consecutive race wins in a season record. The following year he would join the McLaren Young Driver Programme, a programme only a handful of drivers can say they were a part of. In 2020, he would claim the inaugural Porsche Sprint Challenge GB Championship before joining British GT in 2022 where he would win the Silver/AM cup in his maiden campaign in GT3 machinery. Dorlin’s success and skill would continue to shine across GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and the GT Cup Championship before making his touring car debut in 2025.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK Team Principle, Christian Dick, said: “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. 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.”

After signing, James Dorlin said: “It feels like this has been a long time coming! 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 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.”

“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.”

“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 – and 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!”