Priaulx wary of diesel SEAT threat

The BMW driver is just one point behind Augusto Farfus in the standings with three rounds remaining, and Yvan Muller is currently 13 points behind the Brazilian in the lead SEAT.

However, the Frenchman took the first diesel-powered victory for SEAT last time out at Oschersleben, and Priaulx believes that the diesel engine will be a big advantage for the rest of the season.

"The last two races, at Monza and Macau, are all about speed," Priaulx told autosport.com. "The turbo diesel SEATs will be very quick there.

"I think they can close the gap before Macau, and I think they will have at least two drivers genuinely fighting for the title."

The British driver believes that SEAT's rivals will also start running diesel engines if their advantage remains.

"I think everyone will adopt the diesel, because it's quicker," he said. "I'll be recommending that BMW run it.

"It seems to be the way to go, and SEAT wouldn't be running it if they hadn't done their back to back tests with it."