SEAT Sport
Encyclopedia
SEAT Sport is the motorsport
division of the Spanish
automobile manufacturer
SEAT
, founded in 1985 , succeeding the 'SEAT Special Vehicles department' which had been formed in 1971 with the mission to enforce the brand's participation in rally championships, followed by 11 titles between 1979 and 1983.. It has competed in rallying
and touring car racing
, and also develops high performance versions of road cars. The result of this effort has been rewarded through SEAT's most prestigious titles in FIA championships, three conquests with the SEAT Ibiza Kit-Car in the FIA 2L World Rally Championship (WRC)
(1996, 1997, 1998) and two times with the SEAT León in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)
(2008, 2009).
(WRC) was back in the 1977 season when SEAT took part with its 'SEAT 1430/124D Especial 1800' race car, and already in its debut rallying event at the Montecarlo Rally the SEAT team finished in the third and fourth place with the official 1430-1800 cars being driven by Antonio Zanini and Salvador Cañellas. In the recent years the consignment was burdened on the small SEAT Ibiza
, a 1.6L normally aspirated front-wheel drive
car with its roots in the Volkswagen Polo
. The Ibiza allowed the company to start building its rallying experience, and was officially engaged in some European national championships. The years went by and little success followed until a 2L version of the Ibiza was homologated
as a kit-car, and extra wide tracks, larger wheels, brakes, etc, were fitted to it as the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
(FIA) kit-car regulations allow. With these attributes, the car won the 2L World Championship three times ('96, '97, '98).
SEATs three conquests of the 2L FIA title, and the sport's popularity in Spain
, convinced Volkswagen Group
management to go further, and allocate sufficient budgets to the SEAT Sport department so as to allow it a chance to reach its goal. SEATs project to build a WRC-spec car was officially announced during the 1997 San Remo rally. It was in 1998 that the SEAT Córdoba
WRC was first enrolled by the company to compete at the highest level of WRC racing. The Córdoba was based on the family saloon of the same name but was, naturally, a WRC class car. It had a 4 cylinder
turbocharged
petrol engine
, permanent four-wheel drive
, and active differentials were involved in its transmission. However, the short wheelbase
and high-mounted engine (compared to its rivals) worked against the Córdoba, and results weren't impressive. The main drivers were ex-WRC champion Didier Auriol
, along with Harri Rovanpera
and rising Finnish star Toni Gardemeister
. They did achieve three podium finishes; at the 1999 Rally New Zealand (Gardemeister), the 1999 Rally of Great Britain (Rovanpera) as well as the 2000 Safari Rally (Auriol). SEAT pulled out of international rallying at the end of 2000.
in Spain, a one-make series featuring the SEAT León
. This format has since expanded across Europe, with the formation of the SEAT León Eurocup
in 2008. In 2003, SEAT began entering the SEAT Toledo Cupra
in the European Touring Car Championship
(ETCC) with drivers Jordi Gené
and Frank Diefenbacher
. Former British Touring Car Championship
winner Rickard Rydell
joined them in 2004, taking their first victory.
the ETCC became the World Touring Car Championship
(WTCC). Peter Terting
replaced fellow German Diefenbacher. Jason Plato
also joined the team for four rounds, and Marc Carol
for one round. Later in 2005, the León model made its debut.
In 2006
Gabriele Tarquini
, Yvan Muller
and James Thompson
joined the team. André Couto
, Oscar Nogués
and Florian Gruber
also raced in one-off rounds.
In 2007
Rydell, Thompson and Terting left the team and were replaced by Michel Jourdain Jr. and Tiago Monteiro
. Terting and Rydell later made one-off appearances for the team, as did Nogués. Towards the end of the season SEAT debuted the TDi
diesel version of the León.
In 2008
Jourdain left the team, as the team scaled down from a six-car to a five-car team. Yvan Muller won SEAT's first driver's championship in the WTCC and SEAT also won the manufacturers title.
In 2009
SEAT Sport continued with the same five drivers, with French team Oreca
assisting with the operation. Gabriele Tarquini won SEAT's second in-a-row driver's championship in the WTCC and SEAT won the manufacturers title for a second consecutive year.
After winning two consecutive driver's and manufacturers titles, SEAT withdrew from the WTCC at the end of the 2009 season as a manufacturer-backed team. However in January 2010, it was announced that they would provide backing to the newly-formed SR Sport
team run by SUNRED Engineering, while also confirming Gabriele Tarquini
, Jordi Gene
, Tiago Monteiro
and Tom Coronel
as 2010
drivers, as Yvan Muller
departed for the works Chevrolet team.
and 2008
, SEAT Sport competed in the British Touring Car Championship
, under the SEAT Sport UK banner. Jason Plato
drove for the team for five years, while Rob Huff
, James Pickford
, Luke Hines
, Darren Turner
, James Thompson
and WTCC
regular Tom Coronel
(as a one-off) also competed. Initially the cars were run by RML Group until they began concentrating on the Chevrolet WTCC project. Plato finished as championship runner-up in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 the TDi version was used, but reliability was a problem. Two teams continued to campaign petrol SEATs in the championship during 2009
with Adam Jones
and series returnee Dan Eaves
competitive for the Cartridge World Clyde Valley
team, while Gordon Shedden
drove for Clyde Valley for a couple of events before it withdrew, but he returned to drive a Leon for the Club Seat
outfit.
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
division of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
automobile manufacturer
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
SEAT
SEAT
SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
, founded in 1985 , succeeding the 'SEAT Special Vehicles department' which had been formed in 1971 with the mission to enforce the brand's participation in rally championships, followed by 11 titles between 1979 and 1983.. It has competed in rallying
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
and touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
, and also develops high performance versions of road cars. The result of this effort has been rewarded through SEAT's most prestigious titles in FIA championships, three conquests with the SEAT Ibiza Kit-Car in the FIA 2L World Rally Championship (WRC)
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
(1996, 1997, 1998) and two times with the SEAT León in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
(2008, 2009).
Rallying
SEAT's first serious attempt at a World Rally ChampionshipWorld Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
(WRC) was back in the 1977 season when SEAT took part with its 'SEAT 1430/124D Especial 1800' race car, and already in its debut rallying event at the Montecarlo Rally the SEAT team finished in the third and fourth place with the official 1430-1800 cars being driven by Antonio Zanini and Salvador Cañellas. In the recent years the consignment was burdened on the small SEAT Ibiza
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
, a 1.6L normally aspirated front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
car with its roots in the Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
. The Ibiza allowed the company to start building its rallying experience, and was officially engaged in some European national championships. The years went by and little success followed until a 2L version of the Ibiza was homologated
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
as a kit-car, and extra wide tracks, larger wheels, brakes, etc, were fitted to it as the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
(FIA) kit-car regulations allow. With these attributes, the car won the 2L World Championship three times ('96, '97, '98).
SEATs three conquests of the 2L FIA title, and the sport's popularity in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, convinced Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
management to go further, and allocate sufficient budgets to the SEAT Sport department so as to allow it a chance to reach its goal. SEATs project to build a WRC-spec car was officially announced during the 1997 San Remo rally. It was in 1998 that the SEAT Córdoba
SEAT Córdoba
The first generation SEAT Córdoba was presented at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show and launched in the summer of the same year, penned by Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and based on the chassis of the SEAT Ibiza Mk2 which would spawn the Volkswagen Polo Mk3 the following year.Its 1.4, 1.6, 1.8...
WRC was first enrolled by the company to compete at the highest level of WRC racing. The Córdoba was based on the family saloon of the same name but was, naturally, a WRC class car. It had a 4 cylinder
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
turbocharged
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
, permanent four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
, and active differentials were involved in its transmission. However, the short wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
and high-mounted engine (compared to its rivals) worked against the Córdoba, and results weren't impressive. The main drivers were ex-WRC champion Didier Auriol
Didier Auriol
Didier Auriol is a French rally driver.Born in Montpellier, and initially an ambulance driver, Auriol made his name as a French rally driver in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1990s. He became World Rally Champion in 1994, the first from his country to do so...
, along with Harri Rovanpera
Harri Rovanperä
Harri "Rovis" Rovanperä is a Finnish rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship from 1993 to 2006. He drove for SEAT , Peugeot , Mitsubishi and Red Bull Škoda Team...
and rising Finnish star Toni Gardemeister
Toni Gardemeister
Toni Gardemeister , is a professional rally driver in the World Rally Championship. After previously competing for SEAT's, Mitsubishi's, Škoda's and Ford's factory teams, as well as for privateer teams, he joined the Suzuki World Rally Team for the 2008 season.-Early:From the outset of his career...
. They did achieve three podium finishes; at the 1999 Rally New Zealand (Gardemeister), the 1999 Rally of Great Britain (Rovanpera) as well as the 2000 Safari Rally (Auriol). SEAT pulled out of international rallying at the end of 2000.
Touring cars
In 2002 SEAT Sport set up the SEAT León SupercopaSEAT León Supercopa
The SEAT León Supercopa is a one-make racing series, organised by SEAT Sport, the motorsport division of Spanish car manufacturer SEAT. It uses a modified version of the SEAT León road car, and championships are currently run in Spain, Germany, Italy and France...
in Spain, a one-make series featuring the SEAT León
SEAT León
The SEAT León is a small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group subsidiary SEAT, S.A. since October 1998.The two León generations are, or have been built upon two differing variants of the Volkswagen Group A platform, and they also share many other components with...
. This format has since expanded across Europe, with the formation of the SEAT León Eurocup
SEAT León Eurocup
The SEAT León Eurocup was a one-make touring car racing series which uses SEAT Leóns, run by SEAT Sport.-Background:The championship began in 2008, making its debut at Circuit de Valencia, as a support series for the World Touring Car Championship, in which SEAT is a leading manufacturer...
in 2008. In 2003, SEAT began entering the SEAT Toledo Cupra
SEAT Toledo
The second generation Toledo was introduced in 1998 and made its debut at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as a four-door notchback sedan. It was more rounded than the previous first generation shape and had a much more fluid design, although both were products of Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign studio...
in the European Touring Car Championship
European Touring Car Championship
The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004...
(ETCC) with drivers Jordi Gené
Jordi Gené
Jordi Gené Guerrero is a racing driver, who competed in the WTCC driving for SR-Sport in the 2010 WTCC season...
and Frank Diefenbacher
Frank Diefenbacher
Frank Diefenbacher is a German auto racing driver.-Career:Diefenbacher won the German Junior Kart Championship in 1996. His first steps out of karting were in Formula Ford in Germany in 1998, where he finished third. He finished fourth in Formula König in 1999.Diefenbacher stepped up to the German...
. Former British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
winner Rickard Rydell
Rickard Rydell
Rickard Rydell is a Swedish racing driver. He won the 1998 British Touring Car Championship, the 2011 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, and has also been a frontrunner in the European/World Touring Car Championship.-Early career:In the early 1990s, Rydell raced in various Formula Three series...
joined them in 2004, taking their first victory.
WTCC
In 20052005 World Touring Car Championship season
The 2005 World Touring Car Championship season was the second World Touring Car Championship season, and the first since 1987. It featured a ten event, twenty race series which commenced on April 10, 2005 and ended on November 20...
the ETCC became the World Touring Car Championship
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
(WTCC). Peter Terting
Peter Terting
Peter Terting is a German auto racing driver, born on February 19, 1984 in Kempten. He won the Volkswagen Lupo Cup in 2002, earning him a DTM drive for Abt Sportsline in 2003, although this proved to be too big a step up, and the teenager struggled to be competitive.After winning the 2004 German...
replaced fellow German Diefenbacher. Jason Plato
Jason Plato
Timothy Jason Plato is a British racing car driver currently competing in the BTCC for Silverline Chevrolet. He is a two time BTCC champion having previously won the series in 2001 when driving for Vauxhall and 2010 for Silverline Chevrolet. He has finished in the top 3 in the championship 8 times...
also joined the team for four rounds, and Marc Carol
Marc Carol
-Career:Carol competed in the Formula BMW Junior Cup Iberia in 2001, where he finished fourth. He also won the Spanish Citroën Saxo Cup that year. In 2002 he finished fifth in the Spanish Formula Junior 1600 series....
for one round. Later in 2005, the León model made its debut.
In 2006
2006 World Touring Car Championship season
The 2006 World Touring Car Championship season was the 3rd season of FIA World Touring Car Championship motor racing. It featured a ten event, twenty race series which commenced on April 2, 2006 and ended on November 19...
Gabriele Tarquini
Gabriele Tarquini
Gabriele Tarquini is a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 78 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on May 3, 1987. He scored 1 championship point, and holds the record for the most failed attempts to qualify...
, Yvan Muller
Yvan Muller
Yvan Muller is a French auto racing driver most noted for success in touring car racing. He is a two-time and the reigning World Touring Car Champion.-Single-seaters:...
and James Thompson
James Thompson (racing driver)
James Thompson is a British auto racing driver and commentator for Eurosport's motorsport coverage. He has twice been champion of the British Touring Car Championship , and was third in the 2007 World Touring Car Championship.-Racing career:He started racing in the BTCC in a privately-entered...
joined the team. André Couto
André Couto
André Couto is a Portuguese motor racing driver who races with a Macau licence.-Early years:André Couto started his career in Karting in Macau influenced by the popular Macau Grand Prix and friends who competed in the local Karting championship...
, Oscar Nogués
Oscar Nogués
Oscar Nogués Farré is a Spanish auto racing driver. He won the Spanish SEAT León Supercopa in 2005 and 2006, and won the inaugural SEAT León Eurocup in 2008. He made one-off appearances in the World Touring Car Championship in 2006, 2007 and 2008 as rewards for his efforts in SEAT one-make series...
and Florian Gruber
Florian Gruber
Florian Gruber is a German auto racing driver.-Career:Gruber won Division 2 of the German Touring Car Challenge in 2003, in a Volkswagen Lupo. He moved to the German SEAT Leon Supercopa for 2004, finishing in eighth place...
also raced in one-off rounds.
In 2007
2007 World Touring Car Championship season
The 2007 World Touring Car Championship season was the 4th season of FIA World Touring Car Championship motor racing. The championship, which commenced on March 11 and ended on November 18, after twenty-two races, was open to Super 2000 Cars, Diesel 2000 Cars and Super Production Cars as defined by...
Rydell, Thompson and Terting left the team and were replaced by Michel Jourdain Jr. and Tiago Monteiro
Tiago Monteiro
Tiago Vagaroso da Costa Monteiro is a Portuguese racing driver. He drove for Jordan, Midland and Spyker MF1 teams—all different iterations of the same team as it was bought by new owners during a two year stint as part of the Formula One paddock...
. Terting and Rydell later made one-off appearances for the team, as did Nogués. Towards the end of the season SEAT debuted the TDi
Turbocharged Direct Injection
TDI or Turbocharged Direct Injection is a design of turbodiesel engines, which feature turbocharging and cylinder-direct fuel injection, developed and produced by Volkswagen Group. These TDI engines are widely used in all mainstream Volkswagen Group marques of passenger cars and light commercial...
diesel version of the León.
In 2008
2008 World Touring Car Championship season
The 2008 World Touring Car Championship season was the fifth World Touring Car Championship season, the fourth since its 2005 return. It began on March 2, and ended on November 16, after twenty-four races...
Jourdain left the team, as the team scaled down from a six-car to a five-car team. Yvan Muller won SEAT's first driver's championship in the WTCC and SEAT also won the manufacturers title.
In 2009
2009 World Touring Car Championship season
The 2009 World Touring Car Championship season was the sixth FIA World Touring Car Championship season, the fifth since its 2005 return. It began on March 8, and ended on November 22, after twenty-four races...
SEAT Sport continued with the same five drivers, with French team Oreca
Oreca
Oreca is a French racing team, founded and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. Oreca has had success in many areas of motorsport including Formula Three where drivers including Alain Prost, Jacques Laffite and Jean Alesi have won the French Formula Three Championship for...
assisting with the operation. Gabriele Tarquini won SEAT's second in-a-row driver's championship in the WTCC and SEAT won the manufacturers title for a second consecutive year.
After winning two consecutive driver's and manufacturers titles, SEAT withdrew from the WTCC at the end of the 2009 season as a manufacturer-backed team. However in January 2010, it was announced that they would provide backing to the newly-formed SR Sport
SUNRED Engineering
Sunred is a Spanish-based auto racing team and constructor. They are best known for competing in the World Touring Car Championship.-Racing History:...
team run by SUNRED Engineering, while also confirming Gabriele Tarquini
Gabriele Tarquini
Gabriele Tarquini is a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 78 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on May 3, 1987. He scored 1 championship point, and holds the record for the most failed attempts to qualify...
, Jordi Gene
Jordi Gené
Jordi Gené Guerrero is a racing driver, who competed in the WTCC driving for SR-Sport in the 2010 WTCC season...
, Tiago Monteiro
Tiago Monteiro
Tiago Vagaroso da Costa Monteiro is a Portuguese racing driver. He drove for Jordan, Midland and Spyker MF1 teams—all different iterations of the same team as it was bought by new owners during a two year stint as part of the Formula One paddock...
and Tom Coronel
Tom Coronel
Tom Romeo Coronel is a Dutch auto racing driver. Tom's twin brother Tim is also a racer, just like their father Tom Coronel Sr...
as 2010
2010 World Touring Car Championship season
The 2010 World Touring Car Championship season was the seventh season of the FIA World Touring Car Championship, and the sixth since its 2005 return. It began with the Race of Brazil at Curitiba on March 7 and ended with the Guia Race of Macau at the Guia Circuit on November 21, after twenty-two...
drivers, as Yvan Muller
Yvan Muller
Yvan Muller is a French auto racing driver most noted for success in touring car racing. He is a two-time and the reigning World Touring Car Champion.-Single-seaters:...
departed for the works Chevrolet team.
BTCC
Between 20042004 British Touring Car Championship season
The 2004 Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 47th British Touring Car Championship season.-Teams and drivers:...
and 2008
2008 British Touring Car Championship season
The 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 51st British Touring Car Championship season. It was also the first that the championship is sponsored by HiQ...
, SEAT Sport competed in the British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
, under the SEAT Sport UK banner. Jason Plato
Jason Plato
Timothy Jason Plato is a British racing car driver currently competing in the BTCC for Silverline Chevrolet. He is a two time BTCC champion having previously won the series in 2001 when driving for Vauxhall and 2010 for Silverline Chevrolet. He has finished in the top 3 in the championship 8 times...
drove for the team for five years, while Rob Huff
Rob Huff
Robert "Rob" Peter Huff is a British racing driver. He currently competes in the World Touring Car Championship for the Chevrolet team, driving the Chevrolet Cruze.-Early years:...
, James Pickford
James Pickford
James Pickford is an English race car driver, born 30 April 1979 in Macclesfield, Cheshire. As a child his interest was in motorbikes; his father Keith ran bike racing teams. However, as with Damon Hill his mother led him towards the relatively safe world of car racing, beginning in karts in 1994....
, Luke Hines
Luke Hines
Luke Hines is a British auto racing driver, he is the son of former karting champion and Zip Kart founder/owner Martin Hines. After a small amount of open wheel racing in Formula Ford, Luke entered the Production Class of the BTCC in 2003, with the Barwell Motorsport team. He was the class...
, Darren Turner
Darren Turner
Darren Turner is an English racing driver. He was McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year in 1996. He is a former test driver for the McLaren Formula One team, but has raced primarily in touring cars and sportscars since 2000. He spent 2 years in the DTM for Keke Rosberg's...
, James Thompson
James Thompson (racing driver)
James Thompson is a British auto racing driver and commentator for Eurosport's motorsport coverage. He has twice been champion of the British Touring Car Championship , and was third in the 2007 World Touring Car Championship.-Racing career:He started racing in the BTCC in a privately-entered...
and WTCC
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
regular Tom Coronel
Tom Coronel
Tom Romeo Coronel is a Dutch auto racing driver. Tom's twin brother Tim is also a racer, just like their father Tom Coronel Sr...
(as a one-off) also competed. Initially the cars were run by RML Group until they began concentrating on the Chevrolet WTCC project. Plato finished as championship runner-up in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 the TDi version was used, but reliability was a problem. Two teams continued to campaign petrol SEATs in the championship during 2009
2009 British Touring Car Championship season
The 2009 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 52nd British Touring Car Championship season. It began at Brands Hatch on the Indy layout on April 5 and finished after 30 races over 10 events on the Grand Prix layout at Brands Hatch on October 4...
with Adam Jones
Adam Jones (racing driver)
Adam Jones is an English auto racing driver.-Early career:He competed successfully in Formula 3 and Formula Renault in France, before switching to GT racing...
and series returnee Dan Eaves
Dan Eaves
Dan Eaves is a British auto racing driver.- Career :He started racing karts in 1990 before switching to cars in 1994. He raced in the National Saloon Cup in 1999 and 2000, finishing 4th in the series both times with a Bowman Motorsport Peugeot 306...
competitive for the Cartridge World Clyde Valley
Clyde Valley Racing
Clyde Valley Racing are a British motorsport team. For 2009 they entered the British Touring Car Championship for the first time, with two SEAT Leons under the Cartridge World Carbon Zero Racing banner, having secured Cartridge World as their main sponsor...
team, while Gordon Shedden
Gordon Shedden
Gordon Shedden is a Scottish auto racing driver.-Early years:In 2000 Shedden won the Ford Fiesta championship, with 9 wins. He raced in the SEAT Cupra Championship, finishing as runner-up in 2003 and 4th in 2004...
drove for Clyde Valley for a couple of events before it withdrew, but he returned to drive a Leon for the Club Seat
GR Asia
GR Asia is an auto racing team based in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. They have raced in the World Touring Car Championship, the European Touring Car Championship and the British Touring Car Championship....
outfit.
Models
Some SEAT models of competition and special sporting versions are- SEAT 1400 B (1957 - Juan Fernández - Copa Montjuïc de Cotxes Sport)
- SEAT 850 Coupé (1967 - A. Pérez Sutil, D. Morán)
- SEAT 1430-1600 (1970 - Del Vaz, Lazcano - London-Mexico)
- SEAT 124 Sport (1970)
- SEAT 124 Sport (1971 - Manuel Juncosa, M. Salas - Rally Basc-Navarrès)
- SEAT Fórmula 1430 (1971)
- SEAT 850 Spider Gr. 5 (1972 - Juncosa)
- SEAT SELEX ST3 (1972 - Salvador Cañellas - SEAT Fórmula 1430)
- SEAT 127 Gr. 2 (1973 - Salvador Servià - Montse Imbers)
- SEAT 1430-1800 Gr. 5 (1973 - Jorge Babler, Ricardo Antolín - Rally d' Espanya)
- SEAT Martini F-1800 (1975 - Villacieros)
- SEAT 1430-1800 Gr. 4 (1977 - Salvador Servià, Jordi Sabater - Rally Montecarlo)
- SEAT 124-2100 16v Gr. 5 (1977 - Antonio Zanini, Juan Petisco - Rally Costa del Sol)
- SEAT 124-2000 Gr. 2 (1979 - Salvador Cañellas - Campionat d'Espanya de Turismes)
- SEAT 131 Abarth (1979 - Salvador Servià, Alex Brustenga - Rally Montecarlo, Rally Nova Zelanda)
- SEAT 131-2100 Gr. 5 (1980 - Santiago Martin Cantero - Campionat d' Espanya de Turismes)
- SEAT Panda Gr. 2 (1981/1982 - R. Munoz)
- SEAT Fura Crono (1983)
- SEAT Ibiza Bimotor Proto (1988 - Josep Maria Servià, Lluis Corominas - Rally de Terra de Lloret de Mar)
- SEAT Ibiza 1.5 GLX Gr. B (1989)
- SEAT Marbella Proto (1989 - Antoni Rius, Manel Casanova - Rally de Toledo)
- SEAT Toledo Podium (1992 - Special edition delivered to the medallists of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic games)
- SEAT Toledo Sport (1992 - Special commercial edition built for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic games)
- SEAT Toledo Olimpico (1992 - Official car of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic games)
- SEAT Toledo Supertourisme (1993/1994 - Giroix)
- SEAT Toledo Marathon (1994 - Josep Maria Servià, Enric Oller - Raid de Grècia)
- SEAT Ibiza Gr. N (1994 - Stephen Roche)
- SEAT Ibiza Gr. A (1995 - Weber/Rius)
- SEAT Ibiza Kit car (1996 - Harri Rovanperä, Juha Repo - RAC rally)
- SEAT Córdoba WRC (1999 - Toni Gardemeister, Paavo Lukander - Raŀly de Nova Zelanda, Rally de Toledo)
- SEAT Ibiza Junior Gr. A (2000 - Dani Solá - Rally d' Ourense)
- SEAT Córdoba WRC Evo 3 (2001 - Salvador Cañellas, Alberto Sanchís - Rally RACC)
- SEAT Dakar TDI (2002 - Fernando Gil, Rafael Tornabell Arras - Madrid-Dakar)
- SEAT Ibiza TDI Gr. N (2003 - Joan Font, Massip - Rally de Salamanca)
- SEAT Córdoba Silhouette (2003 - Christophe Bouchut - Campionat de França de Superturisme)
- SEAT Toledo GT (2003 - Ginés Vivancos, Jordi Gené - Campionat d'Espanya de GT)
- SEAT Toledo Cupra ETCC (2003 - Jordi Gené - ETCC)
- SEAT Cupra GT (2003)
- SEAT Cupra GT (2004 - Gené, Vivancos)
- SEAT León Supercopa (2004 - Luis Pérez-Sala)
- SEAT Ibiza Proto 4x4 (2004 - Flavio Alonso)
- SEAT Toledo WTCC (2005 - Rickard Rydell - WTCC)
- SEAT Córdoba WRC Evo 3 (2006 - Crivillé)
- SEAT León Supercopa (2006 - José Manuel Pérez Aicart - Supercopa SEAT León)
- SEAT León WTCC (Jordi Gené - WTCC 2006)
- SEAT León TDI WTCC (2007 - Yvan Muller)
- SEAT León BTCC (2008 - Jason Plato - BTCC)
- SEAT León TDI WTCC (2008 - Yvan Muller)