Champion Neal tips SEAT for 2007

Reigning Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Champion Matt Neal believes SEAT will have an advantage over his Team Halfords squad as it gears up to win a third successive title in 2007. Neal and Team Halfords, using their BTC Touring-spec Honda Integra, made history by achieving second successive Drivers’ and Teams’ titles in front of a massive 33,000 crowd at Silverstone last Sunday.

But he told BTCC media partner Auto Express magazine that with the championship switching to the FIA’s Super 2000 formula SEAT would be the team to beat as its Leons already run to S2000 specification.

Neal said: “Winning the BTCC again is just fantastic both for me and the team, but now we’ve got to find something new.

”This year, we hit the ground running while others, like SEAT, have struggled with their new cars. Next year the boot is going to be on the other foot.”

Neal’s father and team principal Steve Neal (pictured above on the Silverstone podium) echoed his son’s sentiments, but admitted that a title hat-trick with new S2000 machinery would take some doing.

Neal Snr added: “It is going to be a tough winter. We’ll be up against our biggest challenge yet, but so far we have met all the challenges and beaten them. Three titles in a row would be amazing.”

Although Team Halfords won 14 times this year, SEAT’s Leon racked up an impressive 11 victories – enough for it to wrench away the Manufacturers’ crown that Vauxhall has worn for the past five years. Vauxhall, too, will need to switch to S2000 machinery in 2007 if it wants to win back the trophy.