SEAT begin Season 5 plans

First posted on 13th April 2012 at Legends Racing League

 Kptk92 and o0o JAM1E o0o ended the Championship season in great form, leaving Laguna Seca as the best points scorers

Despite ending the season without the Drivers Championship, Team SEAT have said that they know where to improve next season already as they look to emulate their season 2 triumph.

SEAT drivers o0o JAM1E o0o and Kptk92 gave their rivals something to think about during the off-season by sharing two 1-2 finishes in the final two races of the season and taking a 1-2 in the overall Event Standings at the end of the Laguna Seca event.

SEAT Sport released a statement on Friday morning: "Firstly, we'd like to congratulate x Shuffle on yet another BTCC triumph. We've been lucky enough to work with him in the past and be a part of the success and hopefully we will have our time next season.

"Even as this season closes, preparations for the next season have begun. There are a number of factors to look at during the off-season - driver contracts will be renegotiated during this period as we hope to maintain the strongest team-mate partnership in BTCC that has contributed to our Manufacturers Title this season. Also, we will be looking at ways to improve our challenger so we will hit the ground running once again."

The SEAT team attracted critics over their approach to the Drivers Championship, with opinions divided over whether it was right for the team to let their drivers battle each other rather than help one particular driver mount a serious challenge at Laguna Seca. Critics argued that Kptk92 was realistically out of the Championship chase before the event started and ultimately took crucial points off o0o JAM1E o0o throughout the event.

In response to the critics, SEAT Sport said: "All season we have been open in how our drivers approach racing each other. We are very proud of both of the efforts of our drivers - particularly o0o JAM1E o0o at the start of the campaign and Kptk92 as the season neared it's conclusion.

"We went into the Mazda Laguna Seca event knowing the Drivers Championship was distant for both drivers, but not impossible for either of them. In the end we cut into the Championship lead with both drivers at Laguna Seca, and our lowest placed driver came within 19 points of the Championship - which, when looking at the standings in past Championships - is the closest margin in BTCC history."

Read the full SEAT Statement here