SEAT pair tip TDi to shine at Brands

Yvan Muller made World Touring Car Championship history when he took the Leon TDi to victory in the previous meeting at Oschersleben, and his teammate Jordi Gene reckons that result only hinted at the car's potential.

"I am looking forward to racing at Brands Hatch, because the faster circuit should suit the Leon TDI more," Gene said.

"Oschersleben looked to be the worst circuit on paper for the TDI and we did very well there, so we have a lot of hope with the TDI. We should be competitive now at every circuit, which of course is the way it should be."

The diesel SEAT made a low-key debut in the Anderstorp races at the end of July, but took a big step forward in the following rounds at Oschersleben, where a win and a third place for Muller brought the Frenchman into title contention.

Muller shares Gene's belief that the car will be quicker still at Brands.

"We should perform even better with the Leon TDI at Brands Hatch than we did at Oschersleben, because on paper at least it should suit the car better," he said.

"I know the circuit very well, but we didn't run in the dry with the Yokohama tyres last year, so if it's dry this year then the first challenge will be to find a good set-up. But we go to the UK with a lot of optimism and I am looking forward to it."

Although Gabriele Tarquini has tested the TDi since Oschersleben, he will remain in the traditional version of the car for Brands, as will SEAT's other drivers Michel Jourdain Jr and Tiago Monteiro.