Team Toyota GB with Speedworks Motorsport’s preparations for the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship are coming to a head, with the outfit welcoming world-class engine lubricant company Motul to the fold as sponsors this season.

Speedworks has enjoyed a hot-streak in Britain’s top flight in recent years and, having secured the manufacturer support of Toyota GB, is hoping to up the ante yet further this year with its all-new Corolla almost ready to break cover.

Tom Ingram will make the switch from the venerable Toyota Avensis that saw him take nine race wins and consecutive Independent Teams’ and Drivers’ trophies in 2017 and 2018.

Team Principal Christian Dick is delighted with how the outfit’s new-build machine has come together, and is sure that Motul’s expanded backing, via UK distributor Witham Motorsport, will strengthen his squad’s chances.

“Motul and Witham Motorsport have supported us since Tom came on board in 2014 and have become a major part of the team,” said Dick. “Their support has been infallible and we look forward to embarking on this new chapter with them.

“Good quality oil and fluids always improves performance so we’re delighted to be working with Motul and Witham Motorsport for what I hope will be our best season yet”.

“The Corolla’s coming together nicely. It finally looks like a car, after so much hard work. You spend a lot of time working on the build and finish days looking like nothing has changed but to see it there, as almost the finished article, is fantastic.

“The build’s pretty much there and we only lost four or five days to things like slippage from suppliers that you’d expect to factor in anyway. The car has been running, albeit only in the workshop. We’ve completed system checks and made sure everything’s as it should be under the skin. We’re looking good.”

Witham Motorsport has enjoyed an longstanding relationship with Speedworks and the BTCC. Sales Director Richard Scarborough intimated his excitement at bolstering its involvement.

“We’re thrilled to be sponsoring, and supplying Motul lubricants, to Speedworks and Tom Ingram for a fifth consecutive year in the BTCC. This year marks an exciting new chapter after gaining factory backing from Toyota GB, which will no doubt help push for the overall BTCC title.”

With the finishing touches being put in place on the new Corolla, Dick confirmed the team are due to head out on-track for the first time next week at a UK venue ahead of a trip to Spain for an extended testing programme.

“Tom (Ingram) has been in and around the process looking like a kid in a sweet shop,” added Dick. “His seat fittings been done and he can’t wait to get out there and get going.

“We’ll be hitting a UK circuit next week, which will be made known shortly, before heading off to Spain for a comprehensive testing schedule at the beginning of March.

“Stress levels and the amount of work involved in bringing this all together since Toyota came on-board have ensured that I haven’t had time for it to all properly sink in yet.

“When the car rolls out onto a race-track for the first time next week, I’m sure there’ll be a great sense of pride in what everyone here has achieved over this off-season.”