2007 SEAT Leon Race Car Test 'A Great Success'
12 October 2006
Bosses at SEAT Sport UK have said that this week's driver test
of the 2007-specification SEAT Leon race car was a great success. The
day was filled to capacity, with 14 drivers assessing the high-specification
saloon car racer, designed to provide a route to the top levels of touring
car racing; the British and World Touring Car Championships.
The test took place at the Rockingham circuit in Northamptonshire,
with a full compliment of SEAT Sport UK staff on hand to discuss the
car and the championship. In addition, SEAT Sport UK's BTCC drivers
Jason Plato and Darren Turner were on hand to demonstrate the car and
offer advice and tips.
The day dawned damp, with fog, rain and appalling visibility at the
venue. The first group of drivers went out on full wet tyres but as
the day dried and the sun emerged, later drivers were able to assess
the car's performance on full dry-specification slick tyres.
One of the first drivers in the car was 2006 Cupra race-winner Fulvio
Mussi. "That's definitely the most powerful race car I have
driven. The grip is phenomenal, especially at the front. You can definitely
feel the aerodynamics working, even at low speeds and under braking
– I didn't lock the brakes at all. It took a few laps to
get used to the paddle shift and left-foot braking but I got the hang
of it pretty very quickly. I'm very excited about this car; time
to go and talk to the sponsors now!"
The 2006 championship's most recent winner, Carl Breeze was also
on hand and felt that the new car would be a more challenging drive
than the previous model. "I love the car," he enthused.
"I didn't want to come into the pits! It feels very balanced
and once you've got used to the different driving techniques required,
which I'm sure wouldn't take more than a few laps, I think
it will be great. CMS [Motorsport, which now runs Carl's car in
the 2006 championship] has said that the running costs for the new car
should be comparable with the current one, so it's looking promising.
It's a proper race car and looks great, which is a big draw for
sponsors."
Jonathan Adam, currently third in this year's championship, agreed;
"The 2007 Leon looks like a touring car – the splitter and
diffuser really set it off and should make it attractive for sponsors.
It's a big step forward, with the paddle shift, left-foot braking
and aero package and the result is a very stable and balanced car with
huge amounts of grip."
2006 Champion-elect Mat Jackson was present, not only assessing the
car but representing the championship to newcomers. "I was very
impressed with the grip," he said. "And the gearshift system
was awesome, once you learn how to use it. The chassis is very well
balanced, even set-up neutrally as it was today to allow for a variety
of drivers. For me, this series is the only choice for up-and-coming
saloon car racers. It gives a genuine flow-through to the British and
World Touring Cars and once you're part of the SEAT family, you
can spend time with the BTCC team, gaining knowledge and experience.
That's not normally possible with other teams."
As important as existing SEAT racers were drivers from outside the
Spanish manufacturer's family. They not only had the opportunity
to test the car but were also able to chat to team members, management
and of course, SEAT's BTCC drivers, Plato and Turner.
First of these was Guy Halley who has already won the 2006 Caterham
Championship, with three rounds still to run. This was Guy's first
drive in a front wheel drive racer but even so, he immediately felt
at home in the car; "That was fantastic, I really enjoyed it.
I was surprised by how much grip the car had, even in these greasy conditions.
The gearbox is straightforward and very easy to use and left-foot braking
came back to me quickly. This is something I would definitely like to
do next year. I have proposals ready to go out to potential sponsors
and it's now a case of finding the right people to do it with."
Stuart White was another new face to SEAT and another impressed with
the car. White competes in Class A of the Ford Saloon Car Championship
in a 550bhp Ford Escort Cosworth and has already won that class of the
championship this year. So while he may have noticed less power than
he was used to, he appreciated the areas where the purpose-built Leon
racer would excel. "The car feels really solid and it's
very good on the brakes. You could really feel the aerodynamics beginning
to work on the fast fifth gear corner onto the main straight."
White was one of several drivers who were able to try the car on slicks
as the day dried out and on his second run, was even more impressed.
"That was much better, much more fun. The grip is excellent and
the car didn't seem to want to spin the front wheels at all. It's
certainly something I'm interested in for next year. I'm
looking at moving towards touring cars and a one-make championship,
where everyone is in equal machinery, is something I want to do."
Richard Keen was another new face, arriving from the Formula Renault
championship and an appearance in the World Series by Renault. Richard
is considering options and feels a switch to saloon cars could offer
more opportunities. "The car is good," he said after his
first damp run. "I felt at home with the controls; the paddle
shift and left-foot braking, which I've been used to." Richard
wasn't able to get a genuine impression of the Leon on the damp
but drying Rockingham circuit but he was able to carry out several laps
on slick tyres later and immediately noticed the differences. "The
car is definitely better with the slicks on," he said. "You
can really feel the grip and the braking ability of the car. This is
my first time in a saloon car but I really enjoyed it; there was much
more time to concentrate on the technique as a driver and I really like
that aspect."
Several other drivers attended the test to discuss various aspects
of the 2007 season. A selection of team managers and owners were also
present, some already in the SEAT Cupra Championship and others looking
to join. They were assessing not only the technical aspects of the car
but also discussing the logistics and support package which SEAT Sport
UK offers, widely accepted to be one of the best in British Motorsport.
Championship co-ordinator Mark Turner was encouraged by the day. "I'm
delighted with the way the day went. We ran as many drivers as we could
in the time available and each driver had a good opportunity to get
a feel of the car. The new Leon did nearly 150 laps and didn't s
miss a beat. The drivers' reactions to the car were even better
than we expected with the foggy conditions!
"In addition to the drivers who experienced the car, we saw almost
as many again coming along to find out more about the Championship.
I've had some really encouraging discussions with team managers,
who have spent time looking at the running costs for a full season.
With many of the spares costing significantly less than the previous
model, they have calculated that the cost of competing next season is
comparable, if not a little cheaper, than this year's championship.
All in all the day was very productive indeed."
See series calendar for SEAT
Cupra Championship 2006
Related Story 14.08.2006 - Double
Victory Puts Jackson in the SEAT Cupra Record Books
