Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport have announced that the 2024 BTCC Drivers’ Champion, Jake Hill, will return to lead the team’s on-track efforts as he looks to retain his title in 2025.

A winning combination, the alliance will see Jake once again behind the wheel of a WSR-run BMW 330 M Sport – a partnership that has been so potent since 2022.

2024 represented a landmark year for both Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport and Jake Hill as the Kent-based driver marked Laser Tools’ tenth anniversary in the BTCC perfectly, by claiming his maiden Drivers’ Championship. Accruing a mammoth 421 points throughout the season thanks to eight victories and sixteen podiums, the year marked Jake’s most successful year in his career so far and now the challenge is set to go even better in 2025.

At the heart of the team’s success in recent years has been the presence of stability and continuity – but there will be one change for the coming season, with the team having confirmed that Jake will take up the option of running in the #1 car for the 2025 season.

Thrilled to have his programme finalised for 2025 so early, Jake is champing at the bit to get underway:

“I was so proud that, as a team, we managed to take the crown in 2024 after going close so many times before. To achieve it in the way we did in a thrilling title race that went right down to the wire made it even better. To put it simply, there was nowhere else I wanted to be in 2025 than to be lining up on the grid once again for Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, in a WSR-run BMW.

“Next year will be my third year flying the flag for Laser Tools Racing as we kickstart their second decade in the series, but importantly, it’s now my sixth year representing MB Motorsport and it’s clear to see the direction my career has gone in since we established that relationship. This year marks the earliest we have managed to get everything together and over the line for which I owe them a huge amount of thanks as there’s no time to stand still in the BTCC – which we certainly won’t be doing.”

Mark Blundell, Sporting Director of Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport:

“In many senses, 2024 was the culmination of many years of work and we were all proud to see Jake and the team lift the crown back at Brands Hatch. But the work on next season has been underway for many months now and we are delighted to be announcing that Jake will be reuniting with Laser Tools Racing so early into the off-season.

“MB Motorsport have found a great operational partner in WSR and we look forward to working together to strive for more in the coming months. Winning a title is hard enough – retaining it is even more difficult and that’s the target we have set ourselves next year.”

Keith Anderson, Laser Tools Racing’s Sponsorship Coordinator:

“We are so delighted to be working once again with everyone at MB Motorsport and Jake Hill in 2025. The two years that we have enjoyed working together so far have been fantastic and that was highlighted by the most dramatic of season finales at Brands Hatch last month. When we announced our partnership with MB Motorsport in February 2023, our late founder Martin Smith remarked that he saw Jake as a future champion and we are all very proud that Martin was proven right. We look forward to all the optimism that the new season brings.”

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, WSR:

“We are very pleased to have extended our agreement with Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport and to have Jake back in one of our BMWs in 2025 to defend the championship. He raised his level this year and dealt with late-season pressure extremely well to not only take the Drivers’ title, but to help BMW win the Manufacturers’ crown too. Naturally our aim is to win again in 2025 and having these important building blocks in place so early in the winter is a huge help so we must thank Mark, Alex and the team at MB Motorsport for their ongoing commitment to this programme.”