Multiple British Touring Car Championship race winner Adam Morgan has completed the driver line-up for the debut season of Jason Plato’s new Mercedes team.
The 37-year-old Lancastrian, whose 11 BTCC victories have been scored in seven different seasons, will join Dan Rowbottom aboard Plato Racing’s RML-built Mercedes-AMG A35 Saloon machinery.
Morgan, whose family Ciceley company deals in Mercedes HGVs, has long been linked with the team. He comes into 2026 after his highest championship finish to date with sixth last season at the Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai squad – although ironically, that was a campaign in which he was not a race winner.
There is prior history between Rowbottom and Morgan. They were karting rivals from the age of eight, and Rowbottom joined Morgan’s Ciceley Motorsport team for his rookie BTCC season in 2019, when they raced Mercedes A-Classes.
“This is unbelievably exciting,” said Morgan. “Joining Plato Racing and being a part of a brand new team, brand new car and a whole new way of approaching the BTCC is incredible.
“JP knows how to win championships and get the best not just out of the car but also out of the team, and you can already see that clearly in how he has gone about setting up Plato Racing. The staff, the infrastructure, the investment, the no-holds-barred approach is something I have never witnessed before.
Adam Morgan, Jason Plato, Dan Rowbottom, Plato Racing Team RML
Photo by: Plato Racing Team RML
“For myself and Ciceley Commercials Ltd, joining Plato Racing and driving a Mercedes Benz is commercially by far the best option for us both. And from the first moment we walked into Plato Racing HQ, we knew this was where we wanted to be for 2026.
“I genuinely can’t wait to get started, it’s going to be a mega year. There’s going to be drama, of course – Jason Plato is involved!”
While two-time champion Plato, who also holds the BTCC’s all-time race wins record with 97, spent many years sharing a grid with his new recruit, he also raced against Morgan’s father – Ciceley founder Russell Morgan – in the 1996 Renault Spider UK Cup, which Plato dominated to parlay into a Williams Renault BTCC seat for 1997.
“Russell is a friend of mine,” said Plato. “They are honest, lively people who are business savvy, with strong Mercedes and Daimler connections.
“I also believe that it’s very important in the first year of a new team that both my drivers get on well and don’t fire my cars at the wall. I have absolute confidence that they fit the bill.
“Just like I expect from Dan, I also believe that Adam will be a true force at the sharp end in the BTCC this year.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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