SEAT: all drivers can fight for title

The Spanish manufacturer has recruited former British Touring Car Champions Yvan Muller, James Thompson and Gabriele Tarquini to join last year's drivers Jordi Gene, Rickard Rydell and Peter Terting in its biggest ever assault on the WTCC.

With so many big names, SEAT chose to outsource the race operations of Thompson and Muller's cars to French concern, Team ORECA.

However, SEAT sport director Jamie Puig has said that all six will be given an equal opportunity to claim SEAT's and their own, first WTCC crown.

"We want to be world champions, so the only thing that matters is to win races," Puig said. "We've been improving in every aspect and the drivers are in tune with their cars.

"For 2006 the team has increased from three to six drivers, and they are all officially contracted. They'll participate in all the races with no starting order, with exactly the same chances.

"For logistics reasons, we have sought help from the internationally prestigious French team ORECA. They will take care of two of the team's cars with no change to their official status.

"All the modifications and development work arising throughout the season will be applied equally. The official team with six cars will have two structures simply for operational reasons."

Puig added that SEAT's learning phase of touring car racing can now be considered to be over, and they need to be title contenders this season.

"This will be SEAT Sport's fourth touring car championship season," Puig said. "After the three-year cycle, which included two European and one World Championship participation, we can consider the training and organisational stage completed.

"We want to win."