BTCC racer Collard makes decision to retire at age 26

Collard has had a tough season in the BTCC with the Speedworks Motorsport-run Toyota team, and finished the campaign at the Brands Hatch finale in 16th place in the championship.

It was his first season in a front-wheel-drive racing car, and Collard also found difficulties operating the hybrid boost button – a mid-season break was granted on medical grounds, allowing him a lever to help use the button because of a thumb injury sustained in his karting career.

Collard was runner-up to Lando Norris in Britain’s inaugural FIA Formula 4 championship in 2015, was second in British F3 in 2016, and with BMW he was a race winner in ADAC GT Masters. He also drove an Aston Martin to race victory in the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup.

His first full BTCC season, in 2022, came four years after he stood on for his father Rob – a veteran ace of the series – in four events with the West Surrey Racing BMW team, qualifying second and finishing third on his third race weekend.

“I’ve achieved a lot in my career, and I’m really happy with where I am outside racing,” Collard told Autosport.

“It’s a lifestyle I’ve been super-grateful for, especially as everyone talks a lot about the Collard dynasty [grandfather Mick ‘Duffy’ Collard was a hero of hot rod racing].

“But the sport’s changing a lot – there’s a reason why people like Jason [Plato] are retiring.

“I’ve raced against some of the best people in the world in karts, British F3 and GT – I’ve won in pretty much every championship I’ve done but I haven’t been able to do it in touring cars.

“Coming back here, I’ve had an absolute blast, but this is where I’m at.”

Ricky Collard, Toyota GAZOO Racing UK Toyota Corolla GR Sport

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Collard, whose younger brother Jordan competes in British GT, wants to leave the sport entirely.

“I’ve got a one-way ticket to Australia,” he added. “I’ve got family out there, and I just want to find myself outside of motorsport – there’s a lot more to life than racing cars.

“I’ve got a lot of mates who I grew up with who’ve really supported me – they’ve given up all their weekends to do that. One of them’s a DJ so now I’d like to maybe support him.

“I love racing and I wanted to do the BTCC because my dad did touring cars.

“I’d love to have had a more successful time, but for various reasons it just hasn’t happened – it’s emotionally and mentally not nice to be beaten up by things outside of my control.”

Two-time BTCC champion Jason Plato, meanwhile, reiterated at Brands Hatch that his appearance in the BTC Racing Honda line-up was the final start of his career in the series after 97 race wins.

“If there was a really exciting three-year deal with a manufacturer – which there isn’t – then of course I would continue, but those deals don’t exist anymore,” the 54-year-old told Autosport in response to rumours that he had changed his mind.

“I wanted to bow out of this when I still know I can do the job – I couldn’t live with myself if it was because I wasn’t quick enough anymore.”