Lewis Gilbert Joins WSR for 2026 BTCC Campaign

Scottish motorsport fans have even more reason to cheer when the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) returns to Knockhill this summer. 22-year-old rising star Lewis Gilbert, from Dalry in North Ayrshire, has signed with 18-time championship winners West Surrey Racing (WSR) to drive a BMW 330i M Sport for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Gilbert’s arrival brings the total number of Scottish drivers on the BTCC grid to four, where he joins established fan favourites Gordon Shedden, Aiden Moffat, and Dexter Patterson.

A Proven Karting Champion Steps Up

While Gilbert is a relative newcomer to car racing having made his car-racing debut earlier this year in the GB3 Championship he boasts a stellar karting pedigree. His resume includes winning the IAME Euro Series X30 Junior Championship and the Kartmasters British GP crown.

Joining WSR alongside established racers Charles Rainford and Daryl De Leon, Gilbert will complete an expanded three-car lineup for the legendary outfit. Eligible for the Jack Sears Trophy as well as Independent and Overall honours, the young Scot is eager to take on the steep learning curve of tin-top racing.

"I’m thrilled to make my touring car debut with WSR and to join the BTCC a series I’ve watched and loved for a long time," said Gilbert. "I definitely feel like I’m in at the deep end with the fastest circuit on the calendar Thruxton – first, and then my home track at Knockhill, which couldn’t be more different, straight after. But with the knowledge around me at WSR, I’m really looking forward to the challenge."

High Hopes from WSR Leadership

WSR Team Principal Dick Bennetts—who famously helped launch the careers of drivers like Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen, Colin Turkington, and Jake Hill—expressed great confidence in their newest signing:

"Throughout our history we’ve developed a strong track record of working with young drivers and turning them into champions... Lewis is the latest in a long line of such young talents and he makes the switch from single-seaters to touring cars with a huge amount of promise waiting to be untapped."

Home Heroics at Knockhill

Scottish fans won't have to wait long to see all four Scots battling wheel-to-wheel on home tarmac. Following his debut at Thruxton, Gilbert will head straight to his home circuit at Knockhill on 8th–9th August for Round 7 of the championship.

With four home drivers to back, the atmosphere at Knockhill is set to be electric!

BTCC Knockhill Tickets