The FIA World Touring Car Championship is gearing up for action again at Germany’s Oschersleben track, one which will always remain in SEAT’s memory for being the venue where they made motoring history a year ago after winning the first victory at a FIA world championship event at the wheel the diesel-powered León TDI WTCC.
Performance over the last twelve months has been excellent. Since the first victory in August 2007, the León TDI WTCC has become the undisputed star of the touring car championship, winning 10 victories and 13 podiums, giving SEAT and its drivers the lead in this year’s drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles after finishing second in 2007.
The technical and sports challenge surrounding the launch of the TDI was a daring feat for SEAT, since a diesel engine had never before stood out at any high level racing competition. However, the SEAT Sport technical team had taken stock of all the options, and due to the engine’s great potential and the painstaking set-up work carried out, it was decided to launch a project that today is as exciting as it was a year ago.
Besides, the technology applied on the car makes it a rolling laboratory where technical solutions are tested that might be used in future on cars manufactured at the Martorell factory. SEAT’s TDI engine complies with the championship’s environmental requirements and the “Make Cars Green” campaign promoted by the FIA, and it is the car that consumes the least fuel and with the lowest CO2 emission figures on the grid, as well as the lowest level of particle contamination thanks to the use of latest generation filters.
With these credentials, the SEAT Sport team will be racing in Oschersleben on August 30 and 31 with the same expectations as at previous races – consolidate and if possible increase their lead in both classifications of the championship with the aim of winning the manufacturers’ title first followed by the drivers’ title.
Jaime Puig, SEAT Sport director: “We’re centring our efforts on new technology because we believed in it when nobody else did and time has proven us right. I trust we can continue progressing on the development of a car that has demonstrated its potential within the WTCC rules, and we would naturally like to celebrate the anniversary of our first victory by winning again in Oschersleben.”
Benoit Bagur, SEAT Sport chief engineer: “After analysing the WTCC technical rules we felt that the TDI could deliver good results, and when last year’s championship got complicated we didn’t think twice about facing the difficult challenge of developing the car in such little time. The results have proved our initial analysis to be correct and we’re extremely satisfied with the wins and our innovative contribution to the championship.”
SEAT León TDI WTCC results
2008
Wins: 7 (Gabriele Tarquini, Brazil and Chequia; Tiago Monteiro, Mexico and Portugal;
Yvan Muller, Brazil; Jordi Gené, Mexico; Rickard Rydell, Portugal)
Podiums: 11; Pole positions: 3; Fast laps: 3
2007
Wins: 3 (Yvan Muller, Germny and Italy; Jordi Gené, Italy)
Podiums: 2; Pole positions: 1; Fast laps: 4
Event details
Race: 2008 WTCC, races 15 and 16
Circuit: Oschersleben, Germany
Length: 3.696 km. Two, 14-lap races
Schedule
Saturday, 30 August
9:00 – 9:30 a.m.: Free training session
11:30 – 12:00 a.m.: Free training session
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.: Qualifying session
Sunday, 31 August
8:45 – 9:00 a.m.: Warm-up
12:05 p.m.: 1st race
3:50 p.m.: 2 nd race
TV broadcast
Qualifying (30/08) Eurosport 2 live: 19:00 – 19:45
Warm-Up (31/08) Eurosport International live: 8:45 – 9:15
Carrera 1 (31/8) Eurosport 2 live: 11.45 – 12.45 and Eurosport International delayed: 15.00 – 15.30
Carrera 2 (31/8) Eurosport International live: 15.30 -16.30
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