The Garage 325

NEWS
Motul to become primary partner to
new-look Toyota Gazoo Racing UK
• Global lubricant giant steps up commitment ahead of forthcoming
BTCC campaign
• Speedworks-run outfit extends successful relationship with
Witham Motorsport
• Two-year agreement will see prominent Motul branding on team’s
Toyota Corollas
Toyota Gazoo Racing UK will enter
the 2021 British Touring Car
Championship with a striking new
look and a new Primary Partner, as global
automotive lubricant giant Motul ramps
up its involvement with the Speedworks
Motorsport-run squad in the country’s
premier motor racing series.
Through its official UK importer and
distributor, Witham Motorsport – a
sub-division of acclaimed lubricant
manufacturer, The Witham Group, which
marks its centenary this year – Motul has
supplied Cheshire-based Speedworks with
its premium-quality, high-performance
and high-tech oils and fluids since 2014,
initially as a Lubricant Partner before
growing into a Subsidiary Partner and now
a fully-fledged Technical and Primary
Partner, in a fresh two-year agreement.
The forthcoming campaign will
represent the eighth consecutive season
for the long-standing collaboration, and
comes at a pivotal moment for Toyota
Gazoo Racing UK, which is doubling up
to become a two-car effort for the first
time with a brace of Toyota Corollas for
2019 BTCC Independents’ Champion Rory
Butcher and series returnee Sam Smelt.
The full livery – featuring prominent
Motul branding – will be revealed later
this month, before Butcher and Smelt
take to the track for pre-season testing.
The racing action is due to get underway
in earnest at Thruxton in Hampshire
on 8/9 May, with almost 20 million
viewers traditionally tuning in on ITV4.
withammotorsport.co.uk
Christian Dick, Team Principal, Toyota
Gazoo Racing UK, commented:
“It goes without saying that we are
Graphics © BTCC Bluepints (www.btccblueprints.co.uk)
delighted to extend our relationship with
Motul and Witham Motorsport to what
will be nine years by the end of 2022. A
phenomenal amount of hard work has
gone in to bring this all together – in what
are obviously distinctly challenging times
at present and for that, I would like to
thank everybody involved.
“Motul and Witham have been loyal
partners on our journey in the BTCC as we
have developed from a midfield contender
into a multiple race-winner and regular
title challenger in recent seasons, and the
outstanding performance and efficiency
of Motul’s products has been a key
factor in that progress. Both companies
have become very much part of the
Speedworks family.
“Motul is a world-renowned
organisation with a strong heritage in
the sport, having featured at the very
highest levels in touring car, sportscar and
motorbike racing, and its reputation for
excellence
is thoroughly well-deserved. We are all
tremendously excited to embark upon the
new BTCC campaign together, and look
forward to showing off Motul’s branding
on our two Toyota Corollas over the
coming months as its first-class lubricants
continue to do the business underneath
the bonnet.”
Richard Scarbrough, Sales Director,
Witham Motorsport, said:
“We are immensely proud to have
strengthened our ties with Toyota Gazoo
Racing UK, and at such an exciting time
for the team, too! It has been an excellent
relationship since day one, and it has
been hugely rewarding to witness the
vital role played by Motul lubricants in a
sport in which hundredths if not indeed
thousandths-of-a-second make all the
difference – especially in a series as ultracompetitive
as the BTCC.
“Speedworks has always been a welloiled
operation, and we have enjoyed a
long and successful partnership to-date.
This two-year extension and promotion to
Primary Partner now presents us with a
golden opportunity to truly grow the Motul
brand in the UK, which is one of our major
objectives. It is the first time that Motul
will be a leading sponsor in the BTCC,
and we genuinely cannot think of a better
team or platform – or, indeed, any better
way to celebrate Witham Motorsport’s
milestone 100th anniversary.”
Günter Steven, Head of Sales Export
Central and Eastern Europe, added:
“We are proud and delighted to
be continuing our relationship with
Speedworks Motorsport, and thrilled that
Motul is the team’s Primary Partner this
year. We cannot wait to get the BTCC
campaign underway and look forward to
seeing Toyota Gazoo Racing UK back ontrack
during the season ahead.”
ABOUT MOTUL & WITHAM
MOTORSPORT
Motul has a long history in the automotive
world, having been established in 1853
and developing the first multigrade engine
lubricant in 1953. 1966 was a hallmark year
in Motul’s pursuit of invention with the
creation of ‘Century 2100’ – the inaugural
first semi synthetic oil, hailed by the whole
automotive sphere as the industry’s next
catalyst to high performance.
In 1971, Motul was the first lubricant
manufacturer to pioneer the formulation
of a 100% synthetic lubricant for
automotive engines based on technology
from the aeronautical industry. 300v
was born, and using today’s technology,
is considered as the benchmark in
motorsports.
Motul continues to develop its lubricant
technology today and is involved in the
triumphs of many global racing teams
from the Dakar Rally to Goodwood Revival.
12 THE GARAGE
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