Photo: WTCC media

Complete walkover for SEAT in race 2

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Tiago Monteiro has won his first race in the World Touring Car Championship during the second race at Puebla. The race was a complete walkover for SEAT, having all five SEAT Léon TDI’s in front, followed by the petrol engine SEAT of Tom Coronel in sixth. Alain Menu was one of the few drivers that had a eventfull race, finishing in seventh. Andy Priaulx was the only BMW driver to get a point from both races in Mexico after finishing in eigth.

Monteiro started the race from second on the grid, but right at the start he took the lead and had a comfortable drive to the chequered flag.

Alain Menu, who had started from pole position, lost a place at the start, but immediately had to fight for every inch to hang on to his position. The Chevrolet however was not capable of keeping the SEAT train behind, and soon Menu started to drop back from second to third and from third to fourth. On lap eleven Menu’s tires were completely gone and he slid through every corner and eventually even off the track, dropping him back to 9th.

The Swiss however managed to fight himself back into points, getting seventh place. His team collegues were less fortunate, with Huff in 9th and Larini failing to finish after his right rear wheel arch broke.

Meanwhile, Rickard Rydell had started putting the pressure on fellow SEAT driver Gabriele Tarquini, in the battle over second place. On lap twelve the Swede managed to squeeze Tarquini into a small mistake, allowing himself to nip past.

The result was a record 1-2-3-4-5-6 for SEAT, with Monteiro in front, Rydell in second ahead of Tarquini, Yvan Muller in fourth, followed by race 1 winner Jordi Gené. Tom Coronel took sixth in the semi-works SEAT Léon.

Because of this result, now the top four drivers in the championship are SEAT drivers. Rickard Rydell leads the championship with 26 points, followed on two points by Gabriele Tarquini. Frenchman Yvan Muller has 22 points, Jordi Gené has 15. Andy Priaulx is the first non SEAT driver in the championship standings with 14 points in fifth.