SEAT confirm BTCC assault

SEAT were deliberating on their participation while awaiting confirmation of the series television deal and details of equivalency formula which allows British touring cars to compete with Super 2000 built machines.

SEAT's continued participation had been in doubt while the British division of the Spanish manufacturer deliberated over their commitment to the series, but they have now announced that they will field a two-car squad next season.

The team will use their new Leon model as the basis for their championship challenge, which debuted in the World Touring Car Championship at the end of the season, with Jordi Gene winning a race early in the cars life at Valencia.

SEAT admit they are going all out to win both the drivers' and manufacturers' titles, and promise that Plato's teammate will be someone who will be an experienced racer who has the potential to win at every race circuit.

"I'm working hard on my fitness, I've stopped smoking and I'm going to come back leaner and meaner," Plato said. "We're only racing for one reason and that's to win it, and I hope the BTCC is ready for us!"

"The new SEAT Leon looks fantastic and I can't wait to get my hands on it. The more I see of the car the more convinced I am that it's a winner. As it has never raced in the UK before we'll obviously have a lot of work to do before the first race of the season and as a team we need to raise our game, but all of us know this and we're up for the challenge."

Scott Dennis, SEAT UK's Motorsport Manager, said that the performance of the Leon in the WTCC bodes well for their British championship aspirations: "The SEAT Sport designers and engineers have done a fantastic job with the new Leon and the results already achieved in the WTCC demonstrate that the car has the potential to be winning races regularly both in the World Championship and in the British Championship.

"We'll start testing the new car as soon as we can so that our drivers are confident that they can get the most out of the new car over the course of a race weekend.

"I'm confident that we'll take our experiences from the last two years in the BTCC and build on a team that is capable of winning. We relish the challenge that lies ahead."