SEAT happy with diesel Léon

The new SEAT León TDI made its official debut in today’s test session at Anderstorp. Jordi Gené set the 11th fastest lap of 1:52.771, 0.8 seconds off Rydell’s overall fastest lap and only four tenths behind the best of the SEATs, Tiago Monteiro’s petrol car. The second León TDI, driven by Yvan Muller, posted the 13th fastest lap (1:52.923).

Gené commented: “The test was quite positive. We have to remember that everything is new for us and that we are only at the beginning of the development of the TDI car.

“The diesel engine gives us some benefits, but there also a few things that need to be refined and improved. It is a very heavy car now, with a completely different weight distribution.

“Today we have seen that we are already close to the petrol cars, and therefore we are happy because we have the feeling that the potential is there and as the car will be properly developed it will be more competitive.

“I hope the weather will improve and that we’ll have a dry track for the races, because the TDI is already faster in top speed than the petrol car.”