Cook named as first driver for One Motorsport Honda BTCC attack

British Touring Car Championship nearly-man Josh Cook will contest the 2025 season at the wheel of a One Motorsport Honda Civic Type R.

As tipped all winter, the 33-year-old West Countryman will therefore return to the team with which he has scored 16 of his 20 BTCC race wins, dating back to its previous identity as BTC Racing.

Cook has three times arrived at the final round as an outside title contender – twice with BTC/One, plus last year on his one-season sojourn with the Speedworks Motorsport-run Toyota squad. His best championship position is third, in 2021.

One is returning to the BTCC in 2025 with a two-car line-up after a sabbatical last season, and Cook will automatically be regarded as one of the favourites to add a third title in the Independents division to his 2022 and 2023 crowns.

Although unconfirmed, the Brackley team is expected to use the Dynamics-built FK8 Civics it campaigned from 2019 to 2022, with power from the customer TOCA engine built by M-Sport.

“This is where I’ve spent a large proportion of my BTCC career so to be coming back to familiar faces and surroundings, as well as a car that I know very well, is a really exciting prospect,” said Cook.

“The Civic Type R wasn’t on the grid last year, but the team have been busy chipping away on a number of key areas during the past 12 months. Along with the regulation changes that have been made, I think we can be optimistic of some great results over the course of the season.

“Executing the 2025 season is the immediate focus but this move back to the team is with the long-term view of laying down the foundations for 2026 and beyond. I want to be BTCC champion – simple as that.

“Going into the season I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in – both physically and mentally.

“I know what I need to do, and I’ve got a fantastic team around me; all the ingredients are there and I’m confident this move is going to be the start of something special.”

Team owner Steve Dudman added: “Josh is a class act and bringing him back into the One Motorsport fold was a key objective when we were setting the wheels in motion to return to the grid this year.

“There’s no denying that he has been fast and competitive in whatever he has driven, so to now reacquaint him with a car that has been refined over the past year is hugely exciting for everyone involved.” 

While the team only said that the identity of Cook’s team mate will “be announced in the coming weeks”, the BTCC smoke signals have suggested that it is a race-winning driver making a return to the series.