Cook named as first driver for One Motorsport Honda BTCC attack

British Touring Automobile Championship nearly-man Josh Cook will contest the 2025 season on the wheel of a One Motorsport Honda Civic Sort R.

As tipped all winter, the 33-year-old West Countryman will subsequently return to the group with which he has scored 16 of his 20 BTCC race wins, courting again to its earlier id as BTC Racing.

Cook dinner has 3 times arrived on the last spherical as an outdoor title contender – twice with BTC/One, plus final yr on his one-season sojourn with the Speedworks Motorsport-run Toyota squad. His greatest championship place is third, in 2021.

One is returning to the BTCC in 2025 with a two-car line-up after a sabbatical last season, and Cook dinner will robotically be considered one of many favourites so as to add a 3rd title within the Independents division to his 2022 and 2023 crowns.

Though unconfirmed, the Brackley group is predicted to make use of the Dynamics-built FK8 Civics it campaigned from 2019 to 2022, with energy from the shopper TOCA engine constructed by M-Sport.

“That is the place I’ve spent a big proportion of my BTCC profession so to be coming again to acquainted faces and environment, in addition to a automotive that I do know very effectively, is a extremely thrilling prospect,” mentioned Cook dinner.

“The Civic Sort R wasn’t on the grid final yr, however the group have been busy chipping away on quite a few key areas throughout the previous 12 months. Together with the regulation modifications which have been made, I believe we will be optimistic of some nice outcomes over the course of the season.

“Executing the 2025 season is the quick focus however this transfer again to the group is with the long-term view of laying down the foundations for 2026 and past. I need to be BTCC champion – easy as that.

“Going into the season I really feel like I’m in the perfect form I’ve ever been in – each bodily and mentally.

“I do know what I have to do, and I’ve acquired a incredible group round me; all of the components are there and I’m assured this transfer goes to be the beginning of one thing particular.”

Staff proprietor Steve Dudman added: “Josh is a category act and bringing him again into the One Motorsport fold was a key goal after we had been setting the wheels in movement to return to the grid this yr.

“There’s no denying that he has been quick and aggressive in no matter he has pushed, so to now reacquaint him with a automotive that has been refined over the previous yr is vastly thrilling for everybody concerned.” 

Whereas the group solely mentioned that the id of Cook dinner’s group mate will “be introduced within the coming weeks”, the BTCC smoke alerts have advised that it’s a race-winning driver making a return to the sequence.