Tom Chilton

For the lead game designer of the World of Warcraft series, see Tom Chilton (game developer).
Tom Chilton

Nationality United Kingdom British
Born (1985-03-15) 15 March 1985
Reigate, Surrey, England
Related to Max Chilton (brother)
WTCC career
Debut season 2012
Current team Sébastien Loeb Racing
Car no. 3
Former teams Team Aon, RML, ROAL Motorsport
Starts 115
Wins 4
Poles 2
Fastest laps 4
Best finish 5th in 2013
Previous series
2005, 2007
2005, 2007
2002–2011
2000–01		 ALMS
Le Mans Series
BTCC
T Cars
Championship titles
2010 BTCC Independents' Trophy
BTCC record
Teams Team Aon
Team Dynamics
VX Racing
Honda
Barwell Motorsport
Drivers
championships		 0
Wins 12
Podium finishes 45
Poles 10
Fastest laps 12
Debut season 2002
First win 2004
Best championship position 5th (2005 and 2010)
Final season (2011) position 7th (135 points)

Thomas James "Tom" Chilton (born 15 March 1985 in Reigate) is a British racing driver. He has spent most of his career competing in touring car racing; he was a former factory Vauxhall and Honda driver in the British Touring Car Championship, and currently drives for Sébastien Loeb Racing in the World Touring Car Championship.[1] His younger brother Max Chilton, who is also a racing driver, made his Formula One debut in 2013 and as of 2016, races in the American IndyCar Series for Chip Ganassi Racing.[2]

Career

Early life

Tom was educated at Reigate St. Mary's School and Shiplake College. A keen racer from an early age, he competed in the BRSCC T Cars Championship in 1999 and 2000, going on to take the BRSCC Saloon Car winter championship in 2001.

British Touring Car Championship

Barwell Motorsport (2002)

Chilton driving for VX Racing at Brands Hatch in the 2006 BTCC season.

Turning his attention to the BTCC, he was team mate to ex-Superbike racer Aaron Slight in 2002 driving a Vauxhall Astra Coupé for Barwell Motorsport. He proved to be very quick, and although his lack of experience counted against him he nevertheless finished the season in 15th place overall and 5th in the Independents' Cup.

Chilton driving for VX Racing at Oulton Park during the 2007 BTCC season.

Arena Motorsport (2003–2005)

In 2003 he finished in 9th place overall driving a works Honda Civic Type-R run by Arena Motorsport alongside Matt Neal and Alan Morrison. With Honda withdrawing manufacturer support for 2004, Arena only had the budget to run a single car for Chilton. However, the car was still well-prepared and he came through to take his first victory during the 9th race of the season, at Silverstone, in the process becoming the youngest winner of a BTCC race. He won again in the 29th race at Donington.

His plans for 2005 centred around the DTM with a new programme backed by MG Rover, but this fell through with the demise of the British marque. He and Arena rejoined the BTCC at the second meeting of the season and combined his touring car duties with racing for Zytek in the ALMS and LMS endurance series. Chilton won in both ALMS and LMS racing. He was classified 5th in the 2005 British Touring Car Championship despite only starting 24 of the 30 races. Chilton's involvement with Zytek continued, subject to funding and availability; Tom and his brother Max drove the car at the Silverstone 1000 km in September 2007.

VX Racing (2006–2007)

Chilton negotiating the chicane at Snetterton in 2008.

VX Racing signed him for 2006 to drive the No. 5 Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch. In a disappointing season for Vauxhall, Chilton never won a race and slipped to 7th overall. However, Vauxhall retained Chilton and Fabrizio Giovanardi for 2007, however the team built the car around Giovanardi. Chilton finished 9th overall. Chilton decided he did not want to stay at VX Racing in 2008.

Team Halfords (2008)

He left to partner Gordon Shedden at Team Dynamics for the 2008 BTCC season and replacing VX Racing-bound Matt Neal. In the final round of the championship, Chilton won his first race since round 25 of the 2005 season with a dominant victory at Brands Hatch. This also ensured his 10th place in the championship.

Team Aon (2009–2011)

For 2009 Chilton returned to Arena Motorsport to drive a Ford Focus ST in the BTCC under the Team Aon banner, but spent much of the year developing the car and he ended the season 13th in the drivers' standings.

He remained with the team for 2010. The LPG-powered car was more competitive, taking four of the first five poles, but bad luck meant team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole took better results than Chilton initially. Both were on the podium in race two at Snetterton.[3] At Silverstone the team was dominant, and Chilton was allowed to take both wins ahead of team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole.[4] Onslow-Cole finished ahead in the overall drivers' championship but Chilton secured the Independents' Trophy by a two-point margin over Steven Kane.

For 2011 the team developed a new car based on the new third generation Ford Focus which ran to Super 2000 regulations powered by an NGTC turbocharged engine.[5] Results were poor initially as the car was developed but Chilton took the car to pole position at Knockhill, going on to win race one. He also won the final race of the season at Silverstone. He finished the year 7th in the drivers' championship on 197 points.

World Touring Car Championship

Team Aon (2012)

Chilton driving for Team Aon at the 2012 FIA WTCC Race of Japan.

Chilton made his debut in the World Touring Car Championship in 2012, driving for the Arena Motorsport team with their Ford Focus S2000 TC alongside fellow WTCC debutant James Nash.[6] Although he was new to the championship, Chilton was ruled out of the Yokohama Trophy due to his experience in the BTCC as both a privateer and a works driver.[7] In race one in Morocco, he scored the first points for Ford in their WTCC return after coming home in seventh place.[8] He scored another point in race two in Slovakia. Chilton was given a five place grid penalty for a collision during qualifying for the Race of Austria, he locked up down the inside of Franz Engstler and made contact, putting Engstler out of Q1.[9] An engine change for both Fords at the Race of Japan sent Chilton to the back of the grid for the first race.[10] In the final race at Macau, Chilton lost control in the oil left on the track from Alex MacDowall's collision with the barrier on lap 4, the subsequent crash forced him to retire. Chilton finishes 19th in the drivers' standings, two places behind team mate Nash. After the season, the Arena Motorsport suspended their WTCC programme after losing technical backing from Ford and closed down, leaving Chilton without a drive for 2013.[11][12]

Chilton competing in the 2013 World Touring Car Championship.

RML (2013)

Chilton moved to RML for the 2013 season, driving a Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T alongside former world champion Yvan Muller.[13] He finished second behind Muller at the season opening Race of Italy[14] He took his first WTCC pole position at the Race of the United States, beating teammate Muller.[15] From pole he held off Tiago Monteiro to claim his first race win in the World Touring Car Championship.

Chilton competing in the 2014 World Touring Car Championship

ROAL Motorsport (2014–2015)

On 12 December 2013 Chilton announced[16] that in 2014 he will drive Car nr. 3. for the Italian based team ROAL Motorsport in an all-new Chevrolet Cruze to be built by RML under the new TC1 regulations. His team-mate in the season will be Dutch driver Tom Coronel. Chilton managed to take pole, fastest lap and victory in the first race at Beijing becoming the only non-Citroen driver to win the first race of any race weekend in 2014. A second place finish followed in Japan and Chilton ended the season in 8th place. He continued with ROAL Motorsport in 2015.[17]

Sébastien Loeb Racing (2016)

In 2016 Chilton raced in a Citroën for Sébastien Loeb Racing, together with Moroccan driver Mehdi Bennani. Chilton won the first race in Argentina.[18]

Towards the end of 2016, Chilton was evaluating his options for the following season. He was considering staying in WTCC, a move to GT racing or a return to the BTCC. While talking about the latter, he said he was open to a return to the British series, but only with a top team.[19]

TV appearances

He has appeared in five series of Top Gear. In Series 5, Episode 5, he was one of the drivers in the People Carrier Race. He then again appeared in the first episode of series 6 as one of the drivers in the Toyota Aygo football match. More recently he has appeared in Series 10 episode 6 when he raced a Chevrolet motorhome with other touring car drivers as well as Richard Hammond. In Series 12 episode 5 he raced (and then rolled over) a double decker bus, and had earlier on in the episode raced against Jeremy Clarkson whilst driving a BMW M3. On 6 December 2009, he appeared in a further episode of Top Gear, racing against other touring car drivers in airport vehicles. In Series 20, episode 2, he raced a taxi cab against Richard Hammond.

In 2009 he appeared with Anthony Reid in a music video for singer-songwriter Andy J Gallagher.[20]

Chilton appeared as a single man in Episode 4 of the first series of the ITV show Take Me Out hosted by Paddy McGuinness.

Racing record

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key) Races in bold indicate pole position (1 point awarded – 2002 all races, 2003–present just in first race) Races in italics indicate fastest lap (1 point awarded all races) * signifies that driver lead race for at least one lap (1 point given – 2002 just in feature race, 2003–present all races)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Pen. Pos Pts
2002 Barwell Motorsport Vauxhall Astra Coupé T BRH
1
3		 BRH
2
Ret		 OUL
1
11		 OUL
2
9		 THR
1
13		 THR
2
Ret		 SIL
1
11		 SIL
2
Ret		 MON
1
9		 MON
2
Ret		 CRO
1
Ret		 CRO
2
Ret		 SNE
1
Ret		 SNE
2
8*		 KNO
1
10		 KNO
2
7		 BRH
1
12		 BRH
2
10		 DON
1
12		 DON
2
Ret		 −10 15th 14
2003 Honda Racing Honda Civic Type-R T MON
1
Ret		 MON
2
3		 BRH
1
DNS		 BRH
2
DNS		 THR
1
7		 THR
2
10		 SIL
1
5		 SIL
2
6		 ROC
1
4		 ROC
2
7		 CRO
1
7		 CRO
2
12		 SNE
1
6		 SNE
2
5		 BRH
1
8*		 BRH
2
7		 DON
1
7		 DON
2
6		 OUL
1
Ret		 OUL
2
DNS		 9th 70
2004 Team Honda Honda Civic Type-R THR
1
10		 THR
2
Ret		 THR
3
10		 BRH
1
3		 BRH
2
6		 BRH
3
6		 SIL
1
18		 SIL
2
10		 SIL
3
1*		 OUL
1
11		 OUL
2
7		 OUL
3
6		 MON
1
7		 MON
2
8		 MON
3
5		 CRO
1
19		 CRO
2
9		 CRO
3
7		 KNO
1
2		 KNO
2
Ret		 KNO
3
Ret		 BRH
1
6		 BRH
2
13		 BRH
3
8		 SNE
1
3		 SNE
2
10		 SNE
3
12		 DON
1
9		 DON
2
1*		 DON
3
12		 9th 116
2005 Arena Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R DON
1		 DON
2		 DON
3		 THR
1
10*		 THR
2
6		 THR
3
Ret		 BRH
1
7		 BRH
2
NC		 BRH
3
7		 OUL
1
5		 OUL
2
5		 OUL
3
1*		 CRO
1
6		 CRO
2
3		 CRO
3
9		 MON
1
9		 MON
2
8*		 MON
3
2*		 SNE
1
1*		 SNE
2
1*		 SNE
3
7		 KNO
1
5		 KNO
2
3		 KNO
3
3		 SIL
1
1*		 SIL
2
8*		 SIL
3
3		 BRH
1		 BRH
2		 BRH
3		 5th 175
2006 VX Racing Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch BRH
1
2*		 BRH
2
7		 BRH
3
3*		 MON
1
6		 MON
2
Ret		 MON
3
9		 OUL
1
9		 OUL
2
7		 OUL
3
3*		 THR
1
4		 THR
2
9		 THR
3
8		 CRO
1
Ret		 CRO
2
8		 CRO
3
6		 DON
1
5		 DON
2
Ret		 DON
3
6		 SNE
1
Ret		 SNE
2
7		 SNE
3
3*		 KNO
1
12		 KNO
2
Ret		 KNO
3
Ret		 BRH
1
4		 BRH
2
6		 BRH
3
8*		 SIL
1
3		 SIL
2
Ret		 SIL
3
3		 7th 139
2007 VX Racing Vauxhall Vectra BRH
1
6		 BRH
2
3		 BRH
3
7		 ROC
1
2		 ROC
2
3		 ROC
3
4		 THR
1
6		 THR
2
3		 THR
3
8		 CRO
1
8		 CRO
2
Ret		 CRO
3
7		 OUL
1
6		 OUL
2
9		 OUL
3
6		 DON
1
15		 DON
2
12		 DON
3
7		 SNE
1
3		 SNE
2
8		 SNE
3
8		 BRH
1
6		 BRH
2
Ret		 BRH
3
9		 KNO
1
Ret		 KNO
2
11		 KNO
3
Ret		 THR
1
Ret*		 THR
2
9		 THR
3
3		 9th 130
2008 Team Halfords Honda Civic BRH
1
9		 BRH
2
Ret		 BRH
3
7		 ROC
1
8		 ROC
2
7		 ROC
3
2		 DON
1
Ret		 DON
2
5		 DON
3
5		 THR
1
7		 THR
2
12		 THR
3
Ret		 CRO
1
Ret		 CRO
2
14		 CRO
3
4		 SNE
1
3		 SNE
2
15		 SNE
3
7		 OUL
1
2		 OUL
2
11		 OUL
3
Ret		 KNO
1
10		 KNO
2
11		 KNO
3
6		 SIL
1
12		 SIL
2
Ret		 SIL
3
9		 BRH
1
8		 BRH
2
6		 BRH
3
1*		 10th 107
2009 Team Aon Ford Focus ST BRH
1
11		 BRH
2
14		 BRH
3
11		 THR
1
15		 THR
2
17		 THR
3
Ret		 DON
1
12		 DON
2
17		 DON
3
9		 OUL
1
13		 OUL
2
12		 OUL
3
Ret		 CRO
1
Ret		 CRO
2
DNS		 CRO
3
10		 SNE
1
11		 SNE
2
Ret		 SNE
3
Ret		 KNO
1
11		 KNO
2
11		 KNO
3
8		 SIL
1
11		 SIL
2
5		 SIL
3
Ret		 ROC
1
18		 ROC
2
9		 ROC
3
3*		 BRH
1
2*		 BRH
2
6*		 BRH
3
3		 13th 55
2010 Team Aon Ford Focus ST LPG THR
1
Ret		 THR
2
Ret		 THR
3
8		 ROC
1
11		 ROC
2
6		 ROC
3
Ret		 BRH
1
1*		 BRH
2
DSQ		 BRH
3
6		 OUL
1
5		 OUL
2
6		 OUL
3
4		 CRO
1
18		 CRO
2
11		 CRO
3
4		 SNE
1
3		 SNE
2
2		 SNE
3
4		 SIL
1
1*		 SIL
2
1*		 SIL
3
6		 KNO
1
5		 KNO
2
4		 KNO
3
10		 DON
1
2		 DON
2
4		 DON
3
5		 BRH
1
7		 BRH
2
5		 BRH
3
3		 5th 191
2011 Team Aon Ford Focus BRH
1
3		 BRH
2
8		 BRH
3
8		 DON
1
4		 DON
2
4		 DON
3
Ret		 THR
1
4		 THR
2
4		 THR
3
Ret		 OUL
1
17		 OUL
2
10		 OUL
3
7		 CRO
1
7		 CRO
2
6		 CRO
3
9		 SNE
1
9		 SNE
2
12		 SNE
3
13		 KNO
1
1*		 KNO
2
4*		 KNO
3
6		 ROC
1
13		 ROC
2
11		 ROC
3
18		 BRH
1
7		 BRH
2
5		 BRH
3
4		 SIL
1
12		 SIL
2
8		 SIL
3
1*		 7th 135

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Pos Points
2012 Team Aon Ford Focus S2000 TC ITA
1
13		 ITA
2
16		 ESP
1
19		 ESP
2
15		 MAR
1
7		 MAR
2
16†		 SVK
1
Ret		 SVK
2
10		 HUN
1
15		 HUN
2
14		 AUT
1
16		 AUT
2
11		 POR
1
16		 POR
2
15		 BRA
1
16		 BRA
2
16†		 USA
1
12		 USA
2
15		 JPN
1
15		 JPN
2
18		 CHN
1
11		 CHN
2
19		 MAC
1
13		 MAC
2
Ret		 22nd 7
2013 RML Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T ITA
1
2		 ITA
2
5		 MAR
1
Ret		 MAR
2
3		 SVK
1
Ret		 SVK
2
7		 HUN
1
7		 HUN
2
7		 AUT
1
7		 AUT
2
NC		 RUS
1
9		 RUS
2
6		 POR
1
2		 POR
2
9		 ARG
1
3		 ARG
2
12		 USA
1
1		 USA
2
11		 JPN
1
4		 JPN
2
6		 CHN
1
1		 CHN
2
10		 MAC
1
Ret		 MAC
2
Ret		 5th 213
2014 ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 MAR
1
4		 MAR
2
4		 FRA
1
9		 FRA
2
15		 HUN
1
14		 HUN
2
7		 SVK
1
5		 SVK
2
C		 AUT
1
6		 AUT
2
Ret		 RUS
1
5		 RUS
2
6		 BEL
1
10		 BEL
2
10		 ARG
1
6		 ARG
2
Ret		 BEI
1
1		 BEI
2
8		 CHN
1
Ret		 CHN
2
7		 JPN
1
2		 JPN
2
10		 MAC
1
12		 MAC
2
7		 8th 150
2015 ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 ARG
1
8		 ARG
2
8		 MAR
1
14		 MAR
2
4		 HUN
1
7		 HUN
2
3		 GER
1
9		 GER
2
DNS		 RUS
1
6		 RUS
2
9		 SVK
1
7		 SVK
2
Ret		 FRA
1
5		 FRA
2
8		 POR
1
14		 POR
2
13		 JPN
1
Ret		 JPN
2
6		 CHN
1
Ret		 CHN
2
DNS		 THA
1
Ret		 THA
2
4		 QAT
1
13		 QAT
2
13		 11th 96
2016 Sébastien Loeb Racing Citroën C-Elysée WTCC FRA
1
11		 FRA
2
9		 SVK
1
9		 SVK
2
7		 HUN
1
2		 HUN
2
5		 MAR
1
5		 MAR
2
DSQ		 GER
1
2		 GER
2
3		 RUS
1
14		 RUS
2
16		 POR
1
2		 POR
2
10		 ARG
1
1		 ARG
2
9		 JPN
1
8		 JPN
2
6		 CHN
1
Ret		 CHN
2
9		 QAT
1
2		 QAT
2
Ret		 8th 163

† Did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

References

  1. ↑ Cozens, Jack. "Tom Chilton joins Sebastien Loeb's Citroen WTCC team for 2016". Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  2. ↑ Straw, Edd. "Ex-F1 driver Max Chilton joins Ganassi for 2016 IndyCar season". Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  3. ↑ "Plato doubles up". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 8 August 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  4. ↑ "Chilton doubles up in controversial fashion". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 22 August 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  5. ↑ Ford presents the new Focus, TouringCarTimes.
  6. ↑ Hudson, Neil (4 January 2012). "Arena complete shakedown with 1.6 turbo WTCC Focus". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  7. ↑ Constanduros, Ben. "The time has come!". BenConstanduros.com. Ben Constanduros. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  8. ↑ Hudson, Neil (18 April 2012). "Ford make their point in the WTCC". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  9. ↑ Hudson, Neil (19 May 2012). "Tom Chilton dropped five spots for contact with Engstler". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  10. ↑ Hudson, Neil (20 October 2012). "Engine changes send Arena to the back for race one". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  11. ↑ Mills, Peter (7 January 2013). "Arena suspends Ford World Touring Car programme". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  12. ↑ Hudson, Neil (5 January 2013). "Arena International Motorsport closes its doors". TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  13. ↑ "RML CHEVROLETS FOR MULLER AND CHILTON". World Touring Car Championship. Kigema Sport Organisation. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  14. ↑ "RACE 1 – MULLER LEADS RML 1–2". World Touring Car Championship. Kigema Sport Organisation. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  15. ↑ Tremayne, Sam (7 September 2013). "Sonoma WTCC: Tom Chilton claims maiden pole by beating Yvan Muller". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  16. ↑ "ROAL to run Chevrolets for Tom Coronel and Tom Chilton". World Touring Car Championship. TouringCarTimes. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  17. ↑ "Tom Chilton continues with ROAL in the 2015 WTCC". World Touring Car Championship. TouringCarTimes. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  18. ↑ "Argentina WTCC: Chilton takes season's first win in Race 1". Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  19. ↑ http://www.touringcars.net/2016/11/tom-chilton-looking-at-three-options-for-2017
  20. ↑ "Moonlighting telly crew". Top Gear. BBC. 4 June 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
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