In the competitive arena of motorsport, Joshua Watts stands out as a promising new talent. Coming from a motorsport family, with his mother and father both accomplished drivers, it comes as no surprise that as he gears up for his races, he brings not only a legacy of success but also his own determination and skill. With each lap, Joshua aims to prove that he is more than just the product of his lineage—he is ready to establish his own identity on the track.
Matt Hancock dives deep into his story.
Spending most weekends at race circuits in the UK and overseas we often get the privilege to see some of the young up-and-coming talent, one such talent is that of Joshua Watts. Josh comes from a formidable racing pedigree. Joshua’s mum, Fiona Leggate had her passion for motorsport ignited early, inspired by her father, veteran racer Malcolm Leggate. Her career took off after winning a competition to drive with former British Rally Champion Gwyndaf Evans. By 2003, she was racing in Britcar and the MG XPower Trophy, quickly making a name for herself.
In 2004, she set a world record for the most races in a single day, solidifying her spot in motorsport history. In 2005, Fiona debuted in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), racing a bioethanol-fueled Vauxhall Astra Coupé with the Tech-Speed team. Her best finish of 5th at Silverstone earned her 12 points and recognition as an eco-friendly fuel advocate. She returned to the BTCC in 2006 but struggled with mechanical issues and withdrew mid-season, making way for Paul O’Neill. In 2007, Fiona raced with the Kartworld team in a bioethanol-powered MG ZS and also competed in the EERC Production S1 and Britcar events. Despite setbacks, like engine failures in the Silverstone 24-hour race and at Spa, she showcased resilience and speed. She also dominated the PS1 Championship, winning the first four races and setting pole positions and fastest laps, proving her undeniable talent.
Another well known name from the early 2000’s is that of Joshua’s dad, Danny Watts, born in Aylesbury, he began his racing journey in 1993 with karting. After excelling in the UK Formula First Championship in 1998, he entered British Formula Renault in 2000, where he won the championship in 2002 alongside future F1 star Kimi Räikkönen. In 2003, Watts moved to the British Formula 3 Championship, claiming his first win at Castle Combe and making history in 2004 by winning without driving a Dallara car.
His career faced challenges in the following years, but he continued to shine in multiple series, including the Porsche Carrera Cup, where his dominant performance led to a full-time ride in 2006. Watts also raced in the Le Mans Series, joining Team LNT in 2007 and impressing with podium finishes in A1 Team Great Britain’s 2007/8 season. In 2008, he joined the Porsche Supercup and later raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Strakka Racing, securing pole position at the Barcelona opener in 2009. Strakka Racing’s move to the LMP2 class in 2010 saw Watts contribute to a class victory at Le Mans. His performance continued to impress, with a standout effort at the World Endurance Championship round at Silverstone in 2012, solidifying his reputation as a top endurance driver.
Given his incredible family legacy in motorsport and the countless hours spent immersed in the excitement of racing events, it was almost destiny that Joshua would carry on the family tradition.
The BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship offers an incredible opportunity for young drivers aged 14-17 to kickstart their careers in circuit racing. With a reputation for shaping future motorsport stars, the championship provides the perfect stepping stone for emerging talent, helping them progress to senior categories. The cars, built on the Mk7 Ford Fiesta 1.6 Zetec S platform, are transformed into fast, dynamic, and safe race machines, offering a thrilling learning experience for young racers.
Joshua made his debut in the Fiesta Junior Championship towards the tail end of the 2023 season, competing at Donington for rounds 11 and 12, followed by Brands Hatch for rounds 13 and 14.
As he transitioned into the 2024 season, he aimed to complete a full championship run in his Ford Fiesta Zetec S (MK7). The opening rounds at Silverstone in March 2024 saw Joshua shine, delivering an outstanding performance against the UK’s finest young racers. His remarkable drive not only showcased his undeniable talent but also carried forward the racing legacy of his family.
At just 15 years old, Joshua, a student at Boston Grammar School, was ecstatic with his results. As one of the youngest drivers on the grid, his performance proved he was a force to be reckoned with. In the opening rounds, Joshua secured an impressive 6th place in the first race and followed it up with a solid 4th in the second, establishing himself as a rising star in the championship.
However, the next rounds at Brands Hatch didn’t go quite as planned. Mechanical issues prevented Joshua from finishing round three on the Saturday, but he bounced back in round four, driving his heart out to claim a commendable 10th place. By round five, he had regained his rhythm, finishing 6th at Brands. Heading to Snetterton, Joshua’s form looked strong, with another 6th place finish in the first race. Unfortunately, a DNF in the second race cut his momentum short.
Oulton Park was next on the calendar, but the first race ended in another DNF. In the second race, however, Joshua fought back to finish a respectable 11th. Croft in North Yorkshire proved to be another weekend of solid performance, with finishes of 18th, 12th and 18th in the three races. As the championship returned to Silverstone for rounds 13, 14, and 15 on the National Circuit, Joshua faced a tough weekend. More mechanical misfortune led to DNFs in the first two races, but he ended the weekend with a 16th place finish in the third race.
Unfortunately, those would mark the final rounds of Joshua’s season. After grappling with a series of mechanical issues throughout the year, including persistent engine performance struggles, the team ultimately made the tough decision to cut the season short. Despite missing two events and six rounds due to these ongoing setbacks, Joshua still managed to finish 19th overall and 16th in his class. With five DNFs out of the 13 rounds he participated in, it’s impossible not to wonder how high he could have climbed in the standings if not for these frustrating obstacles.
Joshua’s debut season in the Fiesta Junior Championship was a promising one, full of potential and memorable moments. His determination and skill behind the wheel set him up for even greater things in the future.
At the close of the 2024 season, we caught up with Josh at the Lombard Rally Festival, which took place at the scenic Revesby Estate. Joshua, joined by his Grandad, behind the wheel of a Talbot Sunbeam, tackling one of the festival’s challenging rally stages. It was impressive to see how quickly he handled the twists and turns of the course.
During a brief break in the action, we had the chance to sit down with him and ask a few questions about his experience and the season.
Hi Joshua. We are sitting here at the end of the season, it has been quite a year for you. Most of the year, you have been in the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship, and it was your first full season in racing. Can you take us through some of the highs and lows?
If you had to pick out just one favourite moment, what would it be?
My favorite moment of the year would probably be my first podium at the first round of Silverstone, where I got third in class. And yeah, I just think that was a good weekend to start off the year. And you know, if we could have carried that on, I think we would have done a lot better.
If we move on, motor racing is in your blood. What was it like to grow up in a motorsport household?
From young I’ve always been involved in motor sport through my mum, who raced in British Touring Cars, and my dad, who’s raced in various championships like Le Mans GT World Challenge, Porsche Super Cup. And, yeah, I’ve always been around the environment. I’ve always wanted to do it, but only just recently got into it due to like, COVID and things like that, but yeah, it’s been the start of my career through my parents racing.
So, at 15, how hard has it been to juggle school, racing and so on?
Balancing school and racing is a big thing because I’ve got my GCSEs coming up later in 2025 and also I’m trying to focus hard on racing as that’s what I want to do in the future, but it’s a struggle, but I’m working hard to make it work.
When you are not on the track, what do you enjoy doing?
Away from racing, I quite enjoy doing things like football. On most weekends I play games, and it’s a good way to also keep my fitness up, while not like going to the gym and running and stuff like that. So I think it’s a very good thing to do football.
Now, looking to 2025, what are your plans?
Plans for next year are not yet confirmed, but we’re working hard behind the scenes to find something that I can progress to and hopefully be more competitive in, and more that I can learn, because that’s the biggest thing at the moment, and hopefully we can find a good championship to move into.
Finally, some quick fire questions – favourite track? wet or dry? favourite driver to race against?
I probably say my favorite track is Brands Hatch due to the elevation changes. I just think it’s a really fast and fun track to drive. I definitely prefer the wet as I think it brings out more driver ability than anything. And I’d probably say my favorite driver to race against this year was Jenson O’Neill the championship winner, I think we had some great battles on track, and he’s a really clean driver and fun to race against.
There is a positive postscript to this story. After speaking to Joshua’s mum recently we have now been advised that Josh will be racing a full season in the Ginetta Juniors Championship in 2025 with Tim Gray Motorsport. This came about after racing with Elite Motorsport in the Winter series, where he finished 8th at the Silverstone 3 race weekend series. Since its inception in 2008, the Winter Series has established itself as a key fixture in the Ginetta Junior race calendar. The mini-series allows existing Junior drivers to get some more racing experience under their belt. It also provides an opportunity for rookie talents to get their first taste of Ginetta competition.
Joshua and his team are currently looking for further sponsorship for the 2025 season, if you would like to look at possible sponsor options please email Fiona Watts at
watts.fiona@rocketmail.com
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By Matt Hancock
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