TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK primed to shine at Silverstone
‘Happy hunting-ground’ awaits Cheshire-based outfit’s Toyota Corolla
Rob Huff predicts ‘hectic’ weekend at ‘Home of British Motor Racing’
Andrew Watson battled to rostrum result in Northants 12 months ago
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK is fired-up to fight for podium finishes in the British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone this weekend (21-22 September) – around a circuit where the Toyota Corolla GR Sport boasts an excellent record in the country’s premier motorsport series.
The British-built, Speedworks Motorsport-prepared ‘hot hatch’ was a double winner at Silverstone in both 2019 and 2021, and over the past five campaigns, has notched up no fewer than five victories and three further podium finishes in Northants – an impressive set of statistics by any measure.
Rob Huff currently sits eighth in the Drivers’ standings amongst the 22 high-calibre protagonists. The former FIA World Touring Car Champion reached the rostrum at Silverstone in his only previous full season in the BTCC in 2004 – prior to repeating the feat during a one-off return 13 years later.
Moreover, the Cambridgeshire ace twice ascended the podium at the celebrated ‘Home of British Motor Racing’ en route to clinching the SEAT CUPRA Championship crown in 2003, and he has additionally competed there in the WTCC. Huff goes into the forthcoming weekend off the back of 19 consecutive points-scoring finishes in 2024 – a run he is eager to extend.
Team-mate Andrew Watson mastered inclement conditions at Silverstone 12 months ago to claim his second top three finish in the BTCC from outside of the top ten on the starting grid, and the 29-year-old Northern Irishman wound up just shy of the rostrum at the track in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2019.
The series’ reigning Jack Sears Trophy winner, Watson similarly has extensive experience of the circuit from the British GT Championship and Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, while he was a winner and multiple podium-finisher there in Ginettas on his way up the national racing ladder.
Following Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session at 15:35 – streamed on ITV Sport’s YouTube channel – every moment of Sunday’s doorhandle-to-doorhandle action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4, beginning at 10:45. All three races will also be shown on the ITV Sport TikTok channel, in the UK and globally.
Christian Dick, Team Principal, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said:
“Silverstone has traditionally been a very happy hunting-ground for us, and is a circuit that really seems to play to the Corolla’s strengths. Allied to the upgrades we’ve brought to the car in recent weeks, that gives us a lot of confidence and we are approaching the race weekend with our sights firmly set on coming away with a solid clutch of silverware.
“Both Rob and Andrew have finished on the BTCC podium at Silverstone before, of course, and that is very much the target again. Rob is hungry to take his third win of what has been a very impressive comeback campaign – such is the pace of development, this has never been the kind of series where you can simply ‘pick up from where you left off’, particularly after being away for so long, but he has settled back in superbly – while Andrew is now well-overdue a change in fortunes and is very capable of fighting for a trophy or two himself.
“The Speedworks boys and girls have all been working their absolute socks off since Donington Park a few weeks ago. Hopefully their stellar efforts will now pay off with another successful weekend at Silverstone...”
Rob Huff, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said:
“Silverstone is always great fun and a circuit that generates superb racing. The last time I competed there was when I briefly returned to the BTCC in 2017, walking away with a podium after a brilliant weekend and only narrowly missing out on the win.
“Going back after the updates we’ve made over the summer break as well as a really productive test for myself and Aiden [Moffat – Speedworks team-mate] at Pembrey a couple of weeks ago gives us a lot of positivity.
“Silverstone invariably poses a tough challenge, and qualifying is vitally important. Last year, the top six on the grid were separated by barely a tenth-of-a-second. Three hectic races round there will make for a very busy day, but going in with full hybrid allocation will definitely be useful because although it’s a short lap, it’s also a very fast lap, with two pretty long straights. I’m excited and looking forward to really finishing the season strongly over the final couple of weekends with some silverware and champagne.”
Andrew Watson, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, said:
“Silverstone is a circuit that I think pretty much the entire paddock enjoys going to. It’s a fantastic track where the Corolla has performed well in the past, which gives us plenty of cause for encouragement. I’ve raced there in a number of series across various different layouts, and last season in the BTCC I had a strong weekend with a podium finish.
“It would obviously be amazing to repeat that kind of result, and I really feel we’re owed some luck now after all the misfortune we’ve had this year. With full hybrid, we’ve got a decent chance of qualifying high up the order, so we need to make sure we really maximise that opportunity and then hopefully we will be in the mix for a successful Sunday.
“We’ve had a few weeks since Donington to refresh and recharge, so we’re ready to go racing again and we’ll certainly be trying our best over the final couple of events to end the season on a high.”
Images: Jakob Ebrey Photography