BMW team West Surrey Racing has retained its two star youngsters from the 2025 British Touring Car Championship for the new season.
Daryl De Leon and Charles Rainford will each be at the wheel of the BMW 330i M Sport machinery fielded by the Sunbury team, after finishing as champion and runner-up respectively in last year’s Jack Sears Trophy sub-division.
Each scored their maiden BTCC race wins during the second round of the 2025 campaign at Brands Hatch, and they notched up a combined total of three pole positions from the 10 rounds.
De Leon arrived at WSR after a season and a half in back-of-the-grid Cupra machinery, while Rainford graduated straight from the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. The 20-year-old De Leon looked as though he might travel in the opposite direction to Rainford, 27, for 2026 – he was a beaten finalist in the Porsche GB scholarship.
“Racing the BMW in 2025 was an incredibly valuable and rewarding year for me in every way,” said Anglo-Filipino De Leon, who topped the recent two-day, pre-season official test at Croft.
“Taking my first win, securing my first pole positions and winning the Jack Sears Trophy title are achievements we can all be proud of. However, with the new season just around the corner the focus is now on repeating that success. I’m really happy to keep working with my engineer and crew as we continue to grow stronger together.
Daryl DeLeon, WSR BMW 330i M Sport
Photo by: JEP
“We showed good pace during pre-season official testing at Croft, so hopefully we can carry that momentum into the season ahead.”
“I learnt so much in my rookie season and am a much stronger driver as a result,” said Horsham-based former junior ballroom dancing ace Rainford.
“Obviously the win at Brands Hatch and the pole at Knockhill were the highlights and the support from WSR was fantastic, but some of the tougher moments may well have helped us even more. We’ve done some very good work in testing so far and we’re heading into the new season aiming high.”
Indications are that WSR could be slimming down from four cars to two for 2026, after losing 2024 champion Jake Hill as he pursues his international endurance racing ambitions, and Aiden Moffat to Power Maxed Racing.
The team does have a third entry, and is understood to be working towards filling the seat.
Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport BMW 330i M Sport, Charles Rainford, LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR BMW 330i M Sport, Daryl DeLeon, WSR BMW 330i M Sport
Photo by: JEP
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– The Autosport.com Team
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