TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA is homeward-bound for the next instalment of the 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign this weekend (30-31 August), as Donington Park’s famous ‘GP’ loop awaits the team’s four-strong stable of Corolla GR Sport contenders.
 
The Leicestershire venue might be most renowned as the scene of Ayrton Senna’s extraordinary ‘Lap of the Gods’ – when the Brazilian scythed spectacularly from fifth to first on a wet track surface at the start of the 1993 European Grand Prix – but it also holds special memories for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA.
 
The British-built, Speedworks Motorsport-prepared Corolla claimed its maiden BTCC victory in just its sixth outing in the country’s premier motor racing series around Donington’s ‘National’ layout in 2019, and the race-tuned model’s road-going cousin is produced barely ten miles away at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK in Burnaston.
 
Josh Cook will return to the cockpit of the Japanese ‘hot hatch’ this weekend. The 34-year-old Bath-born ace put the car on pole position at the ‘GP’ circuit 12 months ago – going on to convert that stellar single-lap speed into a trio of top four finishes on race day – and he will be aiming to settle swiftly back into the groove.
 
Indeed, Cook’s addition to the line-up means TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA’s quartet of drivers boast more combined victories in the series than any other team on the current grid – and they are in no mood to rest upon their laurels...
 
Stablemate Gordon Shedden boasts a superb record at Donington, with 11 race wins to his name on the ‘National’ configuration. While the Scot – three times a BTCC title-holder – has never raced around the extended ‘GP’ section in the championship, he heads into battle with high expectations and silverware in his sights as he bids to replicate his scene-stealing performance from Oulton Park earlier in the campaign.
 
Árón Taylor-Smith is something of a master of the Midlands circuit’s longer layout, reaching the rostrum there every year since it rejoined the schedule in 2023, and the reigning Independents’ Trophy winner will be eager to maintain that rapid run behind the wheel of the Corolla. Rising star Max Buxton, meanwhile, will be discovering the ‘GP’ loop for the first time, but the 20-year-old rookie – already a points-scorer in the BTCC – knows he can call upon a wealth of experience and expertise as he continues to embrace his learning curve.
 
Following Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session at 15:25 – available to watch on ITV Sport’s YouTube channel – every moment of Sunday’s doorhandle-to-doorhandle action will be shown live and in high-definition on ITV4 and ITVX from 10:45. The full race day schedule will additionally be streamed live around the globe on the BTCC YouTube channel, with the exception of the UK and North America, where there are existing broadcast agreements in-place.
 
Christian Dick, Team Principal, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA, said: “The race weekends continue to come thick-and-fast, and we’re all excited to tackle Donington Park’s ‘GP’ loop. We know the Corolla is quick there having won at the circuit before, and we’ve left no stone unturned to ensure we can go to Toyota’s home track in the best shape possible, primed to fight for strong results.
 
“We hope to see plenty of colleagues on-site from TMUK, and the Corolla’s excellent chassis should come into its own around the extended layout, with the chicane and hairpin in particular being well-suited to its core qualities and attributes. It’s great to have Josh back in the line-up – especially given his exceptional performance at Donington ‘GP’ last year – and with Gordon, Árón and Max similarly on top form and hungry for success, we look forward to seeing all four cars solidly in the mix.”
 
Gordon Shedden, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA, said: “It’ll be good to go back to a track where I already have some experience and data with the Corolla from earlier in the season. I’ve never actually raced around Donington’s ‘GP’ loop in the BTCC as it returned to the calendar the year after I left, but it’s a great circuit and changes the dynamic of the lap compared to the ‘National’ layout, with the additional corners generating extra passing opportunities and producing some spectacular racing.
 
“Donington generally-speaking is somewhere I go well, and given the proximity of TMUK, we can expect a lot of local support from the factory, which will unquestionably give everyone a boost. We underachieved at Knockhill after a difficult Saturday left us towards the wrong end of the grid, so goal number one this weekend will be to maximise qualifying – and then convert that into three strong finishes on race day.”
 
Árón Taylor-Smith, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA, said: “I’m excited to return to a circuit that has favoured me over the past couple of years. Donington’s ‘GP’ loop presents more possibilities for drivers to make a difference, and I think that’s why it plays to my strengths. The level of commitment required really suits my style, and the high-speed chicane and two big hairpins at the end of the lap offer plenty of opportunities to maximise our potential.
 
“Last time out at Knockhill, we saw how strong the Corolla’s chassis is, and a huge amount of hard work has gone in behind-the-scenes since then to improve reliability so I think we can go to Donington confident of being able to challenge. My aspirations are always the same – to win – and I feel like we have a package that can do so. We just need a little bit of luck on our side, but it will come, of that I have no doubt. This team, crew and car are all superb, and I’m looking forward to putting on a show at Toyota’s home track.”
 
Max Buxton, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA, said: “I’m really excited to get back into BTCC action this weekend at such an awesome circuit. The amount of experience that I’ve gained over the course of my first two race meetings in the championship has been immense. I feel like I’m really finding my way with the Toyota now, and I’m very pleased with my progress so far.
 
“Just like at Croft and Knockhill, my aim this weekend is to continue learning as much as possible both on and off-track. I’ve only ever raced on the ‘National’ layout at Donington, so I’ve been busy on the simulator getting my head around the final sector. As Toyota’s home event, we can be sure to receive plenty of local support from everybody at TMUK, and I’m looking forward to making it a great weekend!”
 
Josh Cook, Driver, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK with IAA, said: “I’m looking forward to returning to Donington Park ‘GP’, where in mixed conditions 12 months ago, we qualified on pole in the Corolla and enjoyed a really successful weekend. I think the final sector of the ‘GP’ loop suits the car; it certainly played to its strengths last year, so hopefully we can make the most of that and come away with some good results at Toyota’s home circuit.
 
“Of course, there’s a lot for me to adapt to in a short space of time – things have changed and moved on since I last drove the car – but I know the team well and I’ve spent the past couple of race weekends working with Max [Buxton], so I’ll be continuing to help him, albeit now from the other side of the fence. I was team-mates with Árón back in 2017, and Gordon, of course, is an absolute legend in the BTCC. He’s hugely accomplished and an incredible driver, so hopefully I can learn something from him, too.”