Árón Taylor-Smith reveled in his first British Touring Car Championship win in almost a decade at Brands Hatch on Sunday, masterfully winning race two in damp and challenging conditions.
The Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver had a mixed Saturday, qualifying in the midfield in a fiercely competitive session before fighting into the top ten during Saturday’s qualifying race where he earned ninth on the grid for Sunday’s opener.
Sunday morning’s opening race offered little hint of what was to come. In greasy, changeable conditions, Taylor‑Smith remained largely out of the spotlight as he went on to take the chequered flag in 13th.
It was race two, however, where everything aligned. Starting deep in the pack on a rain‑affected track, Taylor‑Smith came alive as conditions worsened.
While others struggled for grip on slick tyres, the Corolla came into its operating window and allowed him to methodically carve through the pack.
A string of decisive overtakes followed as he displaced rivals caught out by the slippery surface, moving from the fringes of the top ten into the podium places in a matter of laps.
Once among the leaders, Taylor‑Smith continued his charge without hesitation. He swept past both Ash Sutton and series frontrunner Ricky Collard to seize the lead, pulling clear as incidents elsewhere brought further disruption.
When the race was eventually red‑flagged, Taylor‑Smith held a commanding advantage, enough to confirm his first BTCC victory in almost ten years.
The final race of the day proved more subdued. From his reverse‑grid starting position of eighth and with reduced TOCA Turbo Boost to boot, Taylor‑Smith remained in the thick of the midfield battle, eventually finishing ninth.
Reflecting on his race two win, a relieved Taylor-Smith hailed the efforts made by MB Motorsport during the off-season.
“It’s an accumulation of a lot of hard work,” said Taylor-Smith to TouringCars.Net. “That’s the truth of it. And I think the belief that MB Motorsport and Laser Tools Racing have given is what’s made this possible.
“At the end of the day, I’m the same driver I’ve always been for the last ten years, but everything is levelled up around me. It’s allowed me to focus on what I need for myself.
“I’ve always said from the get-go, I believe we can win races, and I know we can when the time is right.
“To get it this early in the year is a surprise, but a pleasant surprise.
“The car was in such a good window that I could fight hard and do what I needed to do and pick my battles.
“And then once I got out front, it felt easy again. The chassis was just doing everything it needed and then to get a result, it’s just incredible. So damn proud.”
Taylor-Smith was full of praise for his race engineer Craig Porley, who has proven championship-winning pedigree with Jake Hill.
“He’s levelled me up no end. That’s the truth of it. He’s won this championship. He is one of the best minds in this battle.
“It’s genuinely a privilege because to see the level at which he operates, it’s just different to anything I’ve been around before. And he’s gotten this result for me at only our second ever race weekend!”
With a strong result in only the fifth race of the year, the Irishman has high hopes for the rest of the campaign, where he currently sits seventh overall in the drivers’ standings.
“We’re in the window very early in the year, so hopefully that means the second half [of 2026] will be even stronger, but we’ll have a great chance at the next few tracks.
“I think we’ve found a few points on the chassis this weekend that probably weren’t 100% at Donington, and that’s given us the opportunity to fight for that win and get it.”