Cataclean Plato Racing
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Team Principal
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Founded
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First Modern Appearance
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Team Titles
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Current Car
Jason Plato
2026
2026
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Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
Mercedes-AMG A35 Saloons
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Heritage
Plato Racing represents one of the most significant developments in British motorsport in recent years. Founded in August 2025 by Jason Plato, one of the most accomplished drivers in British Touring Car Championship history, the team brought Mercedes-Benz back to the series for its debut season in 2026. The creation of Plato Racing marks a remarkable transformation for the 58-year-old two-time BTCC champion, who transitioned from competing at the highest level to owning and managing a competitive racing operation.
After retiring from professional driving in 2022 with an unmatched record of 97 BTCC race wins, 235 podiums, and 659 race starts, Plato seemed unlikely to return to the championship. Yet in September 2025, he announced his intention to establish a new team, shocking the motorsport community.
The team's rapid development was extraordinary. Between August 2025 and April 2026, Plato Racing transformed from an idea into a fully-functional, competitive BTCC operation. In December 2025, the team secured two TOCA BTCC Licences, officially confirming its place on the 2026 grid.
Recognising the importance of engineering excellence, Plato partnered with RML Group, the renowned Northamptonshire-based engineering firm. This reunion was significant: Plato and RML had previously worked together successfully from 2009–2011 when RML ran the Chevrolet works BTCC team during Plato's championship winning 2010 season. The team established its headquarters in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, utilizing premises previously operated by RML.
Plato assembled a team combining his own championship experience with proven BTCC talent. Key appointments included Malcolm Swetnam, a four-decade veteran of tin-top racing from Alliance Racing as race team manager and Paul Ridgway, who brought over two decades of BTCC experience from the same source.
In January 2026, Plato Racing announced it would campaign a pair of front-wheel-drive Mercedes-AMG A35 Saloons, engineered and constructed by RML Group. This marked Mercedes's return to the BTCC after an absence from the championship. The decision reflected Plato's strategic vision and connection with the marque through his network of sponsors.
For drivers, Plato selected experienced racers with proven BTCC pedigree. Dan Rowbottom, a multiple-time BTCC race winner, was announced in February 2026 as the lead driver. Despite undergoing open-heart surgery at the end of 2024, Rowbottom delivered impressive performances in 2025, finishing sixth in the championship. Rowbottom's long term partnership with title sponsor Cataclean, brought stability and commercial strength.
In March 2026, Adam Morgan completed the driver line-up. The 37-year-old Lancastrian brought 11 BTCC wins to the team, many achieved in Mercedes machinery earlier in his career. Interestingly, Plato had previously raced against Morgan's father, Russell Morgan, in the 1996 Renault Spider championship, making this partnership a full-circle moment for Plato, who used that same championship as a springboard to his Williams-Renault BTCC seat in 1997.
The team's striking livery, featuring purple, white, and grey, was unveiled in April 2026. Beyond Cataclean, sponsorship support came from globally recognized brands including ASUS (technology), Snap-On (tools), and Ciceley Commercials, demonstrating Plato's ability to secure premium partnerships befitting a competitive operation.
Plato Racing made its competitive debut at Donington Park on April 18, 2026, strikingly reminiscent of Plato's own BTCC debut 29 years earlier, also at Donington. Just as young Jason Plato shocked the motorsport world by securing double pole position in his first qualifying session in 1997, his new team made a similarly impressive debut impression.
In the championship's new Race to Pole qualifying format, Rowbottom delivered Plato Racing's maiden BTCC victory, securing both the race win and pole position for the opening race of the season. A remarkable achievement for a team in only its first competitive outing. The victory sent a clear message that Plato Racing had arrived with championship-winning ambitions.
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