Jake Hill made an incredible comeback to the British Touring Car Championship by claiming an imperious double win at Knockhill on Sunday aboard his WSR-run Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW.
The 2024 title winner had watched the triple-header at Croft a fortnight earlier from his sofa at home after falling ill during practice and withdrawing from the event on health grounds.
But the Maidstone racer showed the guts and determination that helped him secure last year’s championship crown with a performance of epic proportions aboard his BMW 330i M Sport.
Jake started the opening race from third place on the grid behind the similar WSR-run BMWs of Charles Rainford and Daryl DeLeon.
But he benefitted when Daryl ran wide onto the grass at Duffus Dip early on and then overtook Charles with a crafty switch-back move between the final hairpin and Duffus at two-thirds distance and pulled clear to victory.
He then made it a dynamic double in the reversed-grid finale; this time passing Daryl for the lead at the hairpin during the early stages and controlling the field thereafter.
Not only was his third win of 2025 and the 23rd of his BTCC career, it was also Jake’s seventh at Knockhill and means he has won at the undulating Fife circuit in every one of the four seasons he’s been there since joining WSR.
A fifth-place finish in Race Two – on the unfavoured medium compound tyre – helped Jake to a 54-point haul; the best of any driver at Knockhill and his largest of the year.
Jake was not the only driver celebrating on Sunday. LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR driver Charles had secured his maiden BTCC pole on Saturday and completed a superb one-two finish for WSR in the opening race.
The Sussex racer’s result was his third podium finish of the season and he was also the Jack Sears Trophy winner for a second consecutive event as he closed to within one point of Daryl in the battle for the crown.
Charles also set the fastest race lap of the weekend, earning him the prestigious David Leslie Trophy; named in honour the legendary Scottish BTCC racer. He was 16th in Race Two on the medium tyre and climbed from 16th to eighth in Race Three.
Team-mate Aiden Moffat made his 350th BTCC start in Race Two and enjoyed a strong race day in which he scored his biggest points total of the year.
The Dalkeith ace finished in the top 10 in all three races and enjoyed wheel-to-wheel racing across the day.
He came home sixth, seventh and ninth across the day; his Race Two and Three results affected, respectively, by a flat-spotted tyre and an intermittent electrical issue.
After qualifying second on Saturday, Daryl’s Race-One excursion led to a build-up of debris on his BMW’s air intake. Not only did this cost him power on the long straights, it also led to him driving more conservatively to prevent overheating issues.
He dropped to eighth during the race, but reversed that trend with an excellent charge to sixth in Race Two.
He was drawn on reversed-grid pole for Race Three, but lost positions after developing an alternator issue that worsened as the laps ticked by and eventually caused his retirement.
The championship continues at Donington Park on August 30-31.
Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport: “Double winner, chicken dinner! I’m so happy to be back on the top step of the podium today. The car was phenomenal, so thanks so much to the team for making the BMW so fast. It’s been mega. I’m very happy with two wins and a fifth and so happy with not only the performance, but the support I’ve had too. It’s been great to come back with a bang.”
Charles Rainford, LKQ Euro Car Parts with WSR: “It was seriously warm today, but a great day. It was tricky on the medium tyre in Race Two, but I got a good podium in Race One. It’s been a great day for WSR to have Jake winning twice and for me to be on the podium. I’m also really pleased to get the Jack Sears Trophy win for the event and to get the David Leslie Trophy for the fastest lap too. I’m a happy boy and I’ll head to Donington in a good mood.”
Aiden Moffat, LKQ Euro Car Parts with WSR: “It was good today and really hot day too. I think we left a little on the table in qualifying, so we took the medium tyres for the first race, but we turned that into sixth place, which I was delighted with. From there I thought I had a good chance of fighting for the podium, but locked-up the front right at the hairpin and had a flat spot from there, which limited my pace. I still finished seventh, but that meant I missed Race Three pole by one place. I had an intermittent electrical issue in Race Three, which was a bit of a shame.”
Daryl DeLeon, WSR: “What a day it’s been. I started second in Race One and probably over-committed for a move for the lead that dropped me to eighth. I got a good result in Race Two with sixth, and was drawn on reversed-grid pole for the last race. I got a good start and was really enjoying the race. Then I had an alternator problem, which got worse through the race and caused me to stop near the finish, which was a shame, but we had good pace on the medium tyre in that race and WSR have done a really good job with the BMW.”
