A frustrated Jake Hill was disappointed to miss out on third overall in the 2025 British Touring Car Championship standings, with a puncture in the opening race at Brands Hatch scuppering his chances.
Hill went into the season finale weekend just four points shy of third-placed Dan Cammish in the standings, but ultimately couldn’t overturn the deficit after a puncture in the opening race hurt his chances.
After qualifying in sixth, Hill had looked set to challenge Cammish throughout race day. However, the 31-year-old picked up a puncture due to contact on the opening lap of the race and had to limp back to the pits for new rubber, leaving him at the back of the pack, and he ultimately finished in 19th.
The reigning champion put in a determined drive to seventh in race two, which also gave him a third-place starting position for his final BTCC race.
The Laser Tools Racing driver ultimately capped off his season, and his BTCC career for now, with a podium, but he fell 12 points shy of ending the year third overall and had to settle for fourth.
Evaluating his title defence season after the race, Hill, who will move away from the BTCC in 2026, admitted it had been a tough year, in which he claimed just three wins and had to miss the Croft event entirely due to illness.
“The season has been a bit of a shame, really,” Hill told TouringCars.Net. “For one reason or another, with the rule changes over winter it just screwed us over a little bit.
“The car was not in a very good place for the first half of the year, but we made a great turnaround over the summer break and the team came back at Croft with a much stronger package.
“I went on to have a fantastic round at Knockhill, we were extremely fast at Donington Park, Silverstone was another great points haul and we’ve been fast again here [at Brands Hatch], although a puncture in race one screwed us over.
“Overall, it’s just a bit disappointing – I just don’t think we showed our true potential and it’s a bit of a shame.
“Nonetheless I’ve still enjoyed it and it’s nice to end on a high here on the podium.”
Hill is looking forward to moving on to new challenges in GT racing, but says that he hasn’t ruled out a return to the BTCC in the future.
“I definitely won’t be racing professionally in the UK in 2026 – it will be international GTs and sportscars. Within a month I should be able to tell everyone what I’m doing.
“I hold this championship very dear in my heart, it’s very close to me personally, and I’d love to come back again at some point.
“But when you’ve got an opportunity like this, you’ve got to take it.”