SEAT still to decide on entering a new car for 2014

As the FIA and the manufacturers continue to work on the new regulations for 2014, which will see a new evolution of the Super 2000 specification car competing in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, SEAT are yet to confirm whether they will be building a new car next season.

The Spanish manufacturer has been present in the WTCC since the beginning in 2005, as well as for two years before this in the preceding European Touring Car Championship, but pulled its works team out of the Championship at the end of 2009 after winning the title with Gabriele Tarquini, since being represented by independent teams only in the WTCC.

Introduced in 2005, the brand’s second S2000-spec car, the SEAT León, picked up its 39th win in the WTCC last time out at Morocco, with Pepe Oriola scoring his first career victory in the car which now runs with an ORECA developed 1.6 litre turbocharged engine.

“We are very happy we have won at least one race now every year in eight years,” said SEAT Sport Director Jaime Puig to TouringCarTimes.

With manufacturer supported teams for Honda and Lada new to the Championship this year, and with Citroën, Renault and now Subaru all looking at entering next season, there have been rumours that SEAT are also about step up and build a new car to replace the ageing León II, with an increased manufacturer presence on the grid, but Puig says they’re not there yet.

“We are happy that many manufacturers are coming in,” said Puig. “SEAT haven’t made a decision. We are working on the new regulations because we are part of the Championship with our customers, we have to see how it is and look if we can do it or not.”

“We have said we will try to support the most we can our customers,” he added, reflecting on SEAT’s current programme with Campos/Tuenti Racing, Special Tuning Racing and Münnich Motorsport. “I’m happy that we have to try and beat the other customer programmes, and we try to beat everyone we can.”