![Arón Taylor-Smith, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK [Speedworks Motorsport], Toyota Corolla GR Sport NGTC](https://www.touringcars.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Aron-Taylor-Smith.jpg "Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography")
Toyota Gazoo Racing UK Team Principal Christian Dick was ‘very happy’ with the results his quartet of drivers scored in the British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton, the team’s best weekend of the year so far.
Having scored just three tops tens out of 36 entries in the four events prior to Thruxton, the team was hoping for stronger results at the high-speed Hampshire circuit.
The team was encouraged by strong qualifying results in a wet session on Saturday, when James Dorlin put his Corolla in fifth after breaking into the ‘Quick Six’ Q3 session, with Gordon Shedden also making it into Q2 and ending up in ninth.
Dorlin then went on to record his best-ever finish in the opening race in seventh, after being muscled out by a trio of cars at just over mid-distance before taking a place back when Mikey Doble retired.
Shedden’s charge ended following contact with Senna Proctor, dropping the Scot to the back and significantly impacting his weekend’s results.
Dorlin emulated his seventh-placed result in race two, which gave him pole for the reverse-grid final race.
Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, a fuel pump failure ended his race early on the third lap when he was running in sixth.
Nonetheless, Árón Taylor-Smith was on hand to score a strong result this time. Having been 12th and 17th earlier in the day, the latter due to a puncture whilst running in seventh, the Irishman gained 11 places during the race to take the chequered flag in sixth, the team’s best result of the weekend.
Shedden also bagged points for tenth, whilst Ronan Pearson’s only points came in race two when he was 14th, the Scot retiring from the final race of the day with a damaged bonnet after contact from a rival.
“I’m very happy – that was comfortably our best weekend so far this season,” said Team Principal Dick.
“I was apprehensive going into it, knowing we’ve got a little bit of a power deficit and that Thruxton is very much a power circuit, but equally you need a good chassis round there and the Corolla proved once more that it is extremely agile and inherently a very good package.
“Whilst I was pleased with our performance in qualifying, there was a little bit of me that was a touch disappointed too because I believed we were capable of replicating that if not indeed doing slightly better in the dry, which we then proved on race day by scoring a handful of top ten finishes.
“We clearly still have some work to do to get to the very front, but we’ve definitely taken a step forward, which is testament to the tireless efforts back at base and all the tweaks and upgrades we’ve been bringing to the Corolla. They seem to be paying off now, so we’ll keep going in that direction and keep pushing forward.
“I must also add a word about James’ weekend in particular. He’s had a mountain to climb in terms of learning how to get the most out of a touring car, how the championship works and how the other drivers race, but he’s doing a cracking job.
“He thinks very carefully through every step and doesn’t rush into any snap decisions either on or off-track. I’ve been very impressed by his driving, his feedback and his work ethic – as, I think, has most of the paddock.”