SEAT Claim Maiden Diesel Victory in WTCC
26 August 2007
Yvan Muller made motor sport history today at Oschersleben, claiming
the first World Championship victory for a diesel car. The Frenchman
and his SEAT León TDI started from the front row of the grid,
took the lead after a few laps and led home a line of SEAT, Alfa Romeo
and BMW petrol-powered cars.
Muller’s team-mate Gabriele Tarquini was classified second,
while James Thompson was third, giving another podium result to Alfa
Romeo; he was closely followed by the BMWs of Jörg Müller
and Andy Priaulx.
Roberto Colciago finished the race in 8th position, claiming victory
in the Independents’ Trophy and
pole position on the reverse grid for the second race.
From lap 1 to 3, the race was neutralized by the safety car due to
two different pile ups that eliminated eight cars.
At the start a first collision
involved Alessandro Zanardi’s BMW and Nicola Larini’s Chevrolet
that tangled and collected the independent SEATs of Massimiliano Pedalà and
Pierre-Yves Corthals. A few hundred metres later a second incident
saw Colciago’s SEAT and Alain Menu’s Chevrolet
spinning. Other casualties were Luca Rangoni’s and Félix
Porteiro’s
BMW and Tom Coronel’s and Peter Terting’s SEATs. Only Colciago
and Rangoni were able to rejoin.
Tarquini, who had taken the lead from pole position, retained it when
the race resumed. He was chased by Muller, Thompson, Müller and Priaulx.
However, after only one lap, Muller drove the TDI past the petrol-powered sister
car. Then he managed to maintain the lead, leaving Tarquini, Thompson, Müller
and Priaulx to fight a tough battle for the other podium positions.
In spite
of the many attempts, nobody managed to overtake anybody, and
they finished in the order. Behind them Jordi Gené in the second SEAT
TDI was capable to resist the assaults from Augusto Farfus and Colciago who had
recovered quickly also setting the race’s fastest lap.
Olivier Tielemans
achieved his best result so far in the season, finishing ninth in the
second Alfa Romeo, ahead of Tiago Monteiro and Robert Huff; the latter
being the only Chevrolet driver classified in the race.
Young Russian
rookie Timur Sadredinov successfully completed his maiden WTCC race
in 13th position overall and second of the Independents.
FIA WTCC
See series calendar for World
Touring Car Championship 2007
Related Story 22.05.2006 - One Victory Apiece for SEAT and Chevrolet
in WTCC Race of the UK
