Career

Colin Turkington is a record-equalling four-time British Touring Car Champion (BTCC) and is widely regarded as one of the greatest touring car drivers of his generation. He is one of the biggest names in British motorsport and is BMW’s most successful racing car driver of all time having competed behind the wheel of the German marque for nearly 20 years.

Colin is widely respected for his intelligence and precision behind the wheel. He is known for strategic race management, tyre preservation, and calm decision-making under pressure. His professionalism and consistency have made him a cornerstone driver for high performance programmes, particularly with BMW.

Beyond statistics, his legacy lies in longevity and sustained excellence. Competing at the top level of British motorsport for more than two decades, he has navigated regulatory changes, new technical eras, and evolving competition while remaining a title contender.

Colin Turkington stands as a benchmark for professionalism, adaptability, and championship-level consistency in modern touring car racing.

After 20 seasons and 572 race starts, Colin stepped away from the BTCC grid in February 2025 . 

Career Overview and Highlights

Turkington’s career is defined by a 17-season partnership with West Surrey Racing (WSR) and his mastery of BMW machinery. 

• BTCC Titles: He won the overall championship in 2009, 2014, 2018, and 2019, matching the record held by Andy Rouse.
• International Stature: Beyond the UK, he has competed and won races in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and Scandinavian Touring Car Championship.
• Consistency: He finished in the top 5 of the BTCC championship in 16 of his 20 seasons. 

Racing abroad

Turkington has established a significant presence in Chinese motorsport through multiple guest and world championship appearances: 

• China Touring Car Championship (CTCC): Following his 2018 and 2019 BTCC titles, he made several “wildcard” appearances for the SAIC Volkswagen 333 Racing team. He famously secured pole position on his debut at the Wuhan street circuit in 2018 and earned a podium finish during his tenure.
• Wuhan “Escape”: Turkington later recalled a “narrow escape” from China in late 2019, having competed in a CTCC round in Wuhan just weeks before the initial coronavirus outbreak.
• WTCC Appearances: He competed in the World Touring Car Championship at the Shanghai International Circuit and the Macau Guia Circuit, notably driving a Chevrolet Cruze for Team Aviva-Cofco in 2012. 

About Colin

Turkington is a modest, humble, and hardworking family man who is rarely seen without his two young boys and wife Louise.

 Colin and wife Louise work together in their motorsport marketing and performance business and continue to deliver a tangible and engaging ROI to sponsors.  Turkington has been a brand ambassador for many financial and software organisations throughout his career.  More recently, the influential motorsport hero has steered his influence down a more personal route.   In 2021, they entered the HEALTH arena alongside leading Danish health brand Nordiq Nutrition, promoting lifestyle hacks and wellbeing shifts.  2022 saw the pair lead the way into a more sustainable future with nature-based carbon removal organisation ‘Earthly’.  Investing in nature-based solutions to offset Colin’s personal carbon footprint, the pair removed over 20 Tonnes of carbon and planted over 1300 trees throughout the season.  This pledge for sustainability followed their 2021 initiative to scrap single use plastic bottles within the team that grew in 2022 as the pair provided cardboard water cartons to BTCC drivers, officials and fans throughout the season. 

A true gent of his sport with authenticity and integrity at his core, Colin Turkington will continue to inspire on and off the track for many years to come.