Cupra class of 2007 test the SEAT Sport UK BTCC Leon

The top three finishers in the New Leon Cupra Class of the 2007 Blaupunkt SEAT Cupra Championship – Jonathan Adam, Fulvio Mussi and Carl Breeze – together with the winner from the Leon Cupra R Class, Harry Vaulkhard, tested SEAT Sport UK’s BTCC Leon at the Rockingham racing circuit near Corby today, as part of their prize for a season of success.

The 2007 SEAT Cupra Championship saw a record 28 drivers, with seven different race winners in the New Leon Class and four in the Leon Cupra R Class. All four drivers invited to the test at Rockingham were there on merit. Adam dominated the 2007 series, leading the New Leon Class from Round 2 onwards and winning nine of the 20 races, scoring 17 podium results and setting the fastest lap nine times. He wrapped up the title on home soil at Knockhill in September. Mussi raced well throughout 2007 to pip Breeze to 2nd in the Championship at the final meeting at Thruxton, scoring eight podium finishes and one win. But for accidents at Rockingham and Donington, it could have been a very different season for Breeze, but he finished 3rd with eight podiums and three wins. Vaulkhard joined the SEAT Cupra Championship at the age of 19 in 2005 and finishing 9th overall a year later. He has been a model of consistency this season in the Leon Cupra R Class, finishing out of the points only once. A run of four wins and three seconds from seven races saw him win the class title with two more podiums at Thruxton on his 22nd birthday.

On a bright, dry and sunny day in Northamptonshire, the SEAT Sport UK team approached the test as they would any other, with a complete pit garage set-up, spare car, engineers and technicians, the complete management team and drivers Jason Plato and Darren Turner in attendance. The track temperature was cold (12°C in the morning and 15°C in the afternoon) so getting sufficient heat into the Dunlop tyres was difficult, and all four young drivers were faultless in their approach to the tricky conditions.

As in previous years, each driver underwent the same procedure; a pair of short runs in the morning to familiarise themselves with the car, followed by a technical de-brief with team engineers, before a simulated race-distance run in the afternoon – with a 12 lap stint punctuated by a pit stop at mid-distance. The drivers were also assessed on presentation, psychological approach and media interview techniques, with the results collated into individual post-test reports.

Adam attended the same test last year, after finishing 3rd in the 2006 series, and was enjoying his return to the BTCC Leon. “Having done this test last year, I was a lot more relaxed this time around,” said the 23-year old driver from Kirkcaldy in Scotland. “The aero-package on my New Leon Cupra is very similar to the works touring car and the only real difference in driving style is that you don’t use left foot braking in the BTCC car. This test has gone exceptionally well, and I’d like to thank SEAT UK for giving me this opportunity.”

Mussi, who clinched 2nd in the SEAT Cupra Championship by just half a point, was another returnee from last year. “The test has gone really well and SEAT has done an excellent job in organising everything,” said the 21-year old from Colchester. “The Leon is superbly balanced and has a lot of mechanical grip. It was a lot of fun to drive, but racing is my career and I take everything very seriously – especially days like this, which don’t come along very often. I’d love to race the Leon in the BTCC next year, but having finished runner-up this season I think I’ve got some unfinished business in the Cupra Championship.”

Having tested a SEAT Sport UK Toledo after finishing 4th in the 2005 SEAT Cupra Championship, Breeze was very impressed with his first run in the BTCC Leon. “I’ve raced in the BTCC before but it wasn’t in a competitive car, and the Leon has shown me what a top flight car is like,” said the 28-year old from King’s Lynn. “The main difference between the Leon and my SEAT Cupra car is the brakes, because you can brake a lot later, but powerwise the two cars are very similar. SEAT Sport UK is one of the best teams in Europe and I’ve really enjoyed the test.”

Vaulkhard had the biggest step to make, coming from his class winning Cupra R to the BTCC Leon. “That was mint; the car’s awesome,” said the 22-year old from Newcastle Upon Tyne. “I’ve never really driven anything except my current racing car, and this Leon is very well balanced and extremely predictable to drive. It has a lot of grip, it’s just a case of finding where the limits are. I’ve never used a sequential gearbox before, and it was amazing how slick the gear change is.”