Jason Plato has confirmed that his new British Touring Car Championship team, Plato Racing, will run a pair of Mercedes-AMG A35 saloon cars in this year’s BTCC.
Confirming the model in Motorsport News, Plato revealed that the car would bring Mercedes-Benz back to the BTCC grid for the first time since 2020, when Ciceley Motorsport ran A Class hatchbacks.
Mercedes ceased production of the A35 V177 saloon in the European market in 2025, but the car is still produced elsewhere in the world.
“I would say we looked at in excess of five different types of car, but the Mercedes AMG A35 -V177 Saloon was the one that stood out,” said Plato to Motorsport News. “Not only does it sound like a rocket, we intend it to be so!”
Plato announced his plans to run a team in the BTCC at the Silverstone event in September. Details about the new operation have been limited since then, with no announcements yet made regarding team personnel or drivers.
The fledgling outfit secured two TOCA BTCC Licences (TBLs) in December, whilst TOCA has also visited Plato Racing’s facility in Wellingborough, with the plans having been assessed and approved. Plato Racing has commissioned RML to design and build its new cars for 2026.
The team is planning to run a shakedown at the end of February, followed by participation in the official B TCC pre-season test at Croft in late March and Brands Hatch in early April.