SEAT Sport UK aims to get the balancing act just right at Donington Park, when the contradicting mix of low drag down the straights and higher downforce in the high-speed corners will play a significant role in the team’s success or failure at Rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the 2007 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – which take place at the Leicestershire track on July 14/15.

On paper, the 1.96 mile Donington Park National Circuit is perhaps the least suited track on the BTCC calendar for the S2000-spec SEAT Leon, but the UK testing and development work carried out over the winter has seen the Leon set faster lap times on every circuit in 2007 – despite its base weight being 50kgs heavier than it was in 2006. For the first time since the opening race weekend, Jason Plato won’t be carrying an additional maximum 45kgs at the start of a race weekend (the benefit of not leading the Drivers’ Championship is that Jason will start the weekend with 36kgs of success ballast, while Fabrizio Giovanardi will have 45kgs) while Darren Turner will be aiming to start the race weekend by continuing his excellent record of qualifying on the first or second row; a feat he has achieved at all five previous race weekends so far this season. With great determination and focus, the SEAT Sport UK team is confident that it will arrive at Donington Park with the best set-up and performance package available.

Last year’s race weekend at Donington Park was the low point in SEAT Sport UK’s BTCC title winning season. Having finished 7th in the first race, Jason was following Rob Collard and Matt Neal when the two drivers ahead collided and took Jason into the Old Hairpin gravel trap, and then a start-line accident put an end to Jason’s third race almost before it had started. Darren had an eventful time too. Having finished 12th (after being taped into a 360 degree spin) and 9th (having been pushed through the gravel at Old Hairpin on the opening lap, which dropped him to 15th) in the first two races, he drove brilliantly in very slippery conditions to bring his SEAT Leon home 4th in the final race of the day.

As the second half of the 2007 BTCC begins, SEAT hopes that it will return to the form it showed at Donington Park in 2004 and 2005, when Jason scored points in all six races (including one race win and a 2nd place finish) and the team got a total of five cars to the finish of all six races.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

Nick Clipson, SEAT Sport Race Engineer: “Donington Park marks the start of the second half of the season, and with all the championships still very close, we need to try and extract the absolute maximum from the cars, the drivers and the team. The circuit is fast and flowing which places a real emphasis on car balance and maintaining momentum. All corners are taken in fourth with the exception of Redgate (the first corner) in which the cars are in third gear and Goddards (the chicane which finishes the lap) which is second. The main straight which passes under the Dunlop Bridge is over two thirds of a kilometre long and this places importance on a low drag set-up, and unfortunately this is largely at odds with the higher downforce that is required for the high speed corners. This is particularly significant as the track swoops down through the Craner Curves, which are taken flat out in sixth gear at over 120mph, then braking hard for the Old Hairpin it is vital the car remains stable and well balanced, as this can be an excellent overtaking opportunity. The downhill section into the Old Hairpin is then balanced with the uphill pull through Schwanz and McLeans and up to Coppice. This is a tricky double apex right hander over a brow, where getting a good exit is vital to carry the speed all the way down the straight. The races here are generally incident packed and we will need to above all temper our speed with patience to ensure we come away with maximum points from the weekend.”

DRIVER QUOTES

Jason Plato: “I am looking forward to Donington, SEAT Sport UK has been working day and night in search for more speed and I am confident that its efforts will be rewarded. As a team we must bear in mind that, on paper, Donington Park is our Achilles Heal; however, this is the BTCC, and anything can happen. We must continue our good finishing record and maximise our points haul. There is a long way still to go in this Championship and one thing is certain, SEAT Sport UK and Jason Plato will be fighting for victory all the way to the very last race. Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

Darren Turner: “I contested my first proper car race at Donington Park in the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School in 1992. I’ve had some good races and some bad races there since, but I always look forward to racing there because I love the track. As a team we didn’t have a great race weekend at Donington last year, and it’s maybe the circuit we go to with the most apprehension, but we’ve made a lot of progress since then and we know the Leon a lot better, so I’m quite hopeful of scoring a lot of points. Worst scenario, it might be a case of minimising the amount of points we lose to the opposition at Donington, as it’s certainly not our strongest circuit, and then go on to Snetterton and do what we did there last year – finish one-two in two races and get back on our title-winning path.”

DONINGTON PARK FACT FILE

In 2004, Donington Park was the scene of the BTCC Masters Race, in which 16 touring car legends raced identical SEAT Sport UK-prepared Leon Cupra Rs. The race certainly lived up to its star billing, with Anthony Reid beating Alain Menu to the chequered flag by just 0.537 seconds. BTCC Series Director Alan Gow had drawn the starting grid out of a hat, and despite starting at the back of the grid, Gabriele Tarquini (the 1994 BTCC Champion) set the fastest lap of the race (1:17.767 / 90.60mph)and overtook Frank Biela (the 1996 Champion) on the final lap to finish 3rd. The spectacular race had two safety car periods, as five cars (driven by Jason Plato, Patrick Watts, Tim Harvey, Johnny Cecotto and Kelvin Burt) failed to finish.

Donington Park has hosted the final BTCC race meeting of 2004, the opening rounds of the 2005 season and in 2006 and ’07 the July mid-season meeting.

Jason’s race win at Donington Park in 2004 was his seventh of the season, and although he finished 3rd in the Drivers’ Championship (behind James Thompson and Yvan Muller), he ended the year with more race wins than any other driver.

Darren lost the British Formula Renault Championship at Donington Park in 1996, when he was taken out of the final race and he was forced to watch from the sidelines as the title went to David Cook. Darren had the last laugh that year though, as his outstanding performances contributed to him winning the one of the most prestigious prizes in British motorsport – the McLaren/Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award.

Until last year, SEAT Sport UK had enjoyed a 100% finishing record at Donington Park, with Jason Plato and Rob Huff finishing all three races in 2004 and Jason, James Pickford and Luke Hines finishing all three races in 2005.

After suffering so much bad luck at last year’s BTCC race meeting at Donington Park, Jason conceded that his challenge for the Drivers’ title was over. He re-focused all his efforts on trying to win the Manufacturers’ crown for SEAT – which was to help give SEAT the title in only its third season of competition.