BTCC launches 2025 campaign at Donington Park

Josh Cook made it a happy return to Honda machinery as the One Motorsport driver topped the final pre-season BTCC test at Donington Park today (15 April).

The 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship kicks off competitively here at the same venue on 26/27 April, and it’s Cook who will arrive with the bragging rights having set a new fastest lap at the venue.

With steady runs taking place throughout the day, it was Hyundai holding an incredible one-two-three-four-five on the timesheets well into the final hour, before a late flurry of qualifying simulations set about a change to the order.

When the dust settled it was Cook leading from the NAPA Racing UK duo of Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish, the former missing out on P1 by just 0.003s.

Cook’s benchmark – albeit not an official lap record – was the fastest BTCC lap ever around the Donington Park National Circuit, dipping just under Sutton’s 2023 qualifying effort.

Restart Racing’s Chris Smiley was an impressive fourth in his new Hyundai i30 N, whilst Team Vertu’s Tom Ingram completed the top five.

Ingram was the fastest driver in the morning session, and held top spot for much of the afternoon, before dropping slightly down the order in the closing moments.

Sam Osborne again performed well to fire his NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus into the top six, as he nipped by Team Vertu’s Tom Chilton and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA’s Gordon Shedden.

Adam Morgan (Team Vertu) and Mikey Doble (Motor Parts Direct with Power Maxed Racing) rounded out the top ten.

Click here for the final classification.

Josh Cook, One Motorsport, said: “The car feels good. We made a lot of changes during the course of the day and made some good progress. We just need to assess what worked and what didn’t work and make sure we come back next week somewhere in the right ballpark. We know it’s going to be extremely close, it always is, and hopefully we’re going to be in the mix at the front.”