Newly topped British Touring Automobile champion Jake Hill will stay on the West Surrey Racing BMW group for 2025, when the squad may increase to as many as 5 automobiles.
Hill, whose clinching of the BTCC crown on the Manufacturers Hatch finale final month represented his first championship title of any type in automobile racing, is the primary driver confirmed for the Sunbury group’s fleet of 3-Sequence BMWs, and he has elected to hold the reigning champion’s number one on his automobile subsequent season.
As ordinary, the deal is together with his industrial and administration group below the banner of Laser Instruments Racing with MB Motorsport, with MB boss Mark Blundell taking Hill below his wing since their season as BTCC team-mates in 2019.
WSR has housed a further pair of BMWs since absorbing the tools of Adam Morgan’s household group Ciceley Motorsport for 2023.
However for 2024 it may solely discipline three automobiles on a full-time foundation, with extremely rated Bobby Thompson becoming a member of the group in a fourth BMW for spherical three at Snetterton solely to fall foul of a industrial glitch that instantly halted his season.
Thompson and Morgan are identified to be within the body for a seat in 2025, with WSR’s four-time champion Colin Turkington an apparent goal to stay on board.
Workforce boss Dick Bennetts conceded that talks with Scottish BTCC common Aiden Moffat are additionally ongoing, whereas rumours that had been rife final winter of WSR fielding a second MB automobile alongside Hill have additionally not gone away.
Colin Turkington, Workforce BMW WSR BMW 330e
Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Photographs
MB-managed Andrew Watson was the plain candidate for 2024 earlier than becoming a member of the Speedworks-run Toyota group, however endured a really tough season and is considered contemplating all choices.
WSR boss Dick Bennetts instructed Autosport: “We’re making an attempt very onerous to get again as much as 4 automobiles and presumably 5 – there’s sufficient curiosity, to be sincere, and we’ve stored all of the employees on.
“There are in all probability eight drivers on the listing, nevertheless it’s the age-old downside of getting the numbers and the group concord so as to add up.
“We’re more than happy to have Jake again on board with us for subsequent 12 months, and I’ve loved watching him progress.
“He was a bit tough across the edges once we first had him in 2022, however now he’s matured and are available on robust.
“He’s at all times been fast – there was by no means any doubt about that – and he’s an excellent little lad.”
Hill added: “I’m completely happy to bits. It’s an excellent honour to be going again to West Surrey Racing once more for an additional 12 months.
Jake Hill, Laser Instruments Racing with MB Motorsport BMW 330e M Sport
Picture by: JEP
“It’s going to be nice to enter 2025 with the number one on the facet of my automobile – it’s actually particular and one thing I’ve by no means had the chance to do.”
Hill will due to this fact drop his conventional quantity 24 no less than for 2025, though his use of that quantity took place accidentally.
“I wished to make use of 22 – that’s at all times been my quantity and it’s the date of my birthday – however Chris Smiley registered it two weeks earlier than I used to be in a position to,” he mentioned.
“So my dad [former racer, commentator, safety car driver and 1970s motorsport uberfan Simon Hill] mentioned, ‘You’ve obtained to make use of James Hunt’s quantity 24 from his Hesketh days!’
“The 24 has grow to be my trademark – my JH24 model if you happen to like – however I don’t wish to go up this chance.”
In the meantime, WSR’s sporting and operations supervisor Carl Mitchell has been promoted in order that his title now ends in ‘director’, and is working alongside the established triumvirate of Bennetts, finance director Mike Ewan and industrial director David Eggleton in what may grow to be an growth into different collection.
Mitchell began at WSR on work expertise from school earlier than becoming a member of the group in 2013 as a mechanic, and has grow to be one of many BTCC’s most extremely rated group managers.
“We’re taking a look at different classes so all our eggs aren’t in a single basket,” mentioned Bennetts.
“We had a have a look at the Porsche Carrera Cup GB just a few years in the past and we’re it once more now.
“Carl mentioned, ‘Why don’t we have a look at different issues?’, and at my age [77] I’m completely happy simply doing BTCC, but when they wish to increase then there’s quite a bit occurring.
“Carl has been with us a very long time and he’s actually accomplished nicely. I’m not getting any youthful and it’s good to delegate, however I’m nonetheless concerned on the engineering facet and I nonetheless take pleasure in doing R&D work and making the automobile go sooner.”