West Surrey Racing welcome rising star Daryl DeLeon to the team for the 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Aged 19, DeLeon will become the 18-time championship-winning team’s youngest BTCC driver since Tom Onslow-Cole made his series debut in 2007.

Following an impressive maiden BTCC season, the Anglo-Filipino racer will race a BMW 330i M Sport with the team who won both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers/Constructors' titles this year.

After winning multiple karting titles and taking race wins in the British Championship, DeLeon stepped up to car racing shortly after turning 16 in 2021.

The Drogheda-born driver excelled in the Radical SR1 Cup, taking his first victory in his debut season plus a podium in the Radical Intercontinental Cup against the cream of European competition in the category.

Further Radical wins followed in 2023, as did the overall British Endurance Championship title aboard a GT car. The 19-year old graduated to the BTCC midway through the year; a pre-cursor to fourth place in the Independents’ Trophy with 11 podium finishes in 2024 and third in the Jack Sears Trophy with 12 rostrum results.

DeLeon will test the BMW for the first time in the New Year as he gears up for the 2025 season, which begins at Donington Park, on April 26-27.

Daryl DeLeon said: “It’s a dream come true to join WSR and to be with the best team in the BTCC after only one full season in touring cars. I still can’t quite believe it. I’m excited to return to a rear-wheel drive car as that’s been my background pre-BTCC and the BMW is clearly a mega machine as it proved by winning the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships in 2024. The first aim will be to score a podium finish and I’ll also be trying to win the Jack Sears Trophy across the season. I think both are realistic targets and I’ll be working hard with the team to raise my performance level to where it needs to be for a team like WSR.”

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “We’re very pleased to welcome Daryl to WSR for the 2025 season. He’s impressed us with what he’s achieved across the year and has a lot of the raw potential and determination that we’ve seen in a number of young drivers that have gone on to achieve great things in our cars and beyond. Given his background racing rear-wheel drive cars he should have little trouble getting used to our race-winning BMW. We look forward to helping him develop and move towards the front of the grid.”