The TCR UK series for 2025 is making its British Automobile Racing Club bow – with the tin-top series working alongside the BARC in a new era for the championship. One man also making his debut in 2025 is 17-year-old Finn Leslie – who is one of the youngest drivers on any of our grids – driving his Hyundai i30 in TCR UK.

Leslie – despite his tender age, has plenty of pedigree behind the wheel in his short career so far. We let Finn pick up the story from here…

“It started about eight or nine years ago – I used to go karting once a week at my local track and it evolved from there. I did the British Kart Championships and things like that. I won the Kartmasters Grand Prix that happens every year and when the time was right I wanted to switch to car racing which was the natural progression from karting, and that was at the end of 2023.”

When speaking to the Motorsport UK Academy member – it was clear to see his incredible focus and drive, and from a young age he knew where he wanted to take his racing ambition.

“We looked at all the junior series and chose the Fiesta Juniors which at the time was a support series to TCR UK. We did two rounds at the end of 2023 and that’s when I took my first win in car racing. I won the title last year and it’s now great to see someone else getting the joy out of the car now.

“It was always a dream of mine to race in touring cars from the very beginning and to have the opportunity to step into TCR UK and do it at such a young age was an opportunity I just couldn’t turn down. I used to watch touring cars on ITV every Sunday and it’s the racing I enjoy – the close wheel-to-wheel battles you get in tin-top racing is second to none.”

With the realisation that the Wakefield driver would be achieving a living room dream – getting to take a top-flight touring car around some of Britain’s best circuits was certainly the dawning of reality for the youngster.

“It’s not just the speed, it’s the fact the car is on big slick tyres, better brakes – the whole package was just different when I first drove it. It was a shock to the system, and I did one test day before the start of the season and was really thrown into the unknown.”

Leslie has had to acclimatise at the start of the year – and acclimatise he most certainly did, with the Hyundai star looking right at home against the series regulars. So far this season the Power Maxed Racing driver has notched up a podium at Donington and currently sits in sixth in the standings heading to Croft.

“Our target for this year was to get a podium and we did that in the first round so now we are pushing for even more. There was no real expectation when we arrived – it was all about taking it race by race. The new Cupras have an advantage in a straight line – no two ways about that. There isn’t much we can do about that so we have to get our heads down and make the most out of the package under us – which will be good at certain circuits this year once we get the package refined. I can’t wait for Croft.”

It’s not just a podium on his wishlist – Finn is focused on more this season. Can we begin to dream of the top step?

“I would love to win a race – that’s now the goal, it has to be for any driver. We are getting there now with the car to make me feel comfortable. I think we need things to go our way as well – but anything is possible in this championship.”

See how Finn gets on at Croft this weekend as three more TCR UK rounds await!
Tickets are from £17 with kids under 15 going free. Tickets can be purchased right here – https://croftcircuit.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/barc-tcr

The Croft BARC race weekend will also be broadcast live and for free on our YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/@britishautomobileracingclub