Q & A with Tiago Monteiro

Tiago Monteiro: The goal, the objective is very different. Next year I will have a proper winter test programme. It was difficult coming in late in 2007 from single-seaters without much winter testing and racing against very experienced drivers.

I learned a lot in my first season but with a full test programme I'll be a lot more confident and maybe be able to know a bit more about the setup of the car coming into the season. I really appreciate the trust and confidence that SEAT has put in me.

Q. So you are still not interested in F1 unless it is with a bigger team?

TM: Exactly. I wasn't going to go back in with a small team. We worked on an opportunity to go into F1 again but it didn't come off. In the future you never know - when I started my career at the age of 21 I never thought I'd be able to get to F1. So never say never. But now although I still know a lot of people in F1 my focus is on touring cars.

Q. How difficult was it to adapt to touring cars after so long in Formula 1 and other single-seater categories?

TM: Of course it's very difficult to compare. You are comparing a car which is much less powerful and much heavier. But when you are driving the car on the limit - no matter how fast you are going - it is very difficult.

And when you're fighting for 10 or 15 laps bumper to bumper it really makes it exciting and you don't know how fast you're going! I have a lot of fund racing in the WTCC. In terms of people, although the team does not have so many people they are all so professional - it's just like a Formula One team.

Q. It sounds like you have really enjoyed the racing in the WTCC this year. Is it the best racing you have experienced?

TM: Definitely. It's the most fun and aggressive racing I've done. I raced in Porsches, but it is not as competitive as WTCC. In single-seaters, the only thing I've done which compares in probably Champ Car. It's the most aggressive championship I've been in and you have to get used to it very quickly!

Q. You will be driving a SEAT Leon diesel for the first time next season. Do you expect it have the same advantage it had at the end of this year?

TM: No. There will probably be some changes to penalise the diesel car, but I don't think it's miles quicker than anything else. The diesel came in for circuits where it really helped like Monza and Macau. When you take the season as a whole it's not going to be like that. It won't be so clear, so we will have to work hard. The SEAT has always been a very good car, but until the diesel it was not so quick in the straights.

Q. Is it realistic to think you can fight for the WTCC title next year?

TM: I would hope so - that's what I'm going to aim for initially. I need to learn a lot still. I think I have the speed for it but maybe not the experience. And the luck too. In the WTCC you need to be well-placed in race one or you won't be able to score in race two. I've got to do that to be able to fight for the title.