James Thompson will contest 38 touring car races in 2006, driving a Leon in two championships with SEAT. For a driver who is so passionate about his racing, it’s a dream situation – although James does consider racing with the Barcelona-based SEAT Sport team in the FIA World Touring Car Championship and SEAT Sport UK in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is like “having two girlfriends on the go at the same time”.

His main focus will be the WTCC, where James will contest all 20 races. The international calendar allows the 31-year old driver from Harrogate in Yorkshire to also contest 18 (out of 30) races in the BTCC, where he’ll drive for the Northampton-based SEAT Sport UK squad.

James has been pre-season testing mainly with the Spanish team at Almeria, Albacete, Magny-Cours, Valencia and Monza with the WTCC control Yokohama tyres, and has also tested a Dunlop-shod Leon at Brands Hatch. The 2002 and ’04 British Touring Car Champion is pleased with his preparation and is now looking forward to the start of both championships.

James said: “I’ve done more testing with SEAT Sport in Spain with the World Championship car than I have done with SEAT Sport UK and the British car. Both are very good teams and very good cars. It’s a bit like having two girlfriends on the go at the same time – you don’t know which one you’re supposed to be more attentive too! I’m just looking forward to it all. It’s great to be able to come and race in the UK and contribute something to SEAT trying to win the BTCC Manufacturers’ title, whilst my main focus is the World Championship and winning some races over there.

“The new Leon is fantastic – it’s one of the best cars, if not the best car, I’ve driven in terms of balance. There is only one area the car is slightly weak in and that’s straight-line speed, but that’s due to its hatch-back shape. The Leon’s got a great chassis, the balance and handling is very good and in the corners it does everything you ask of it. Until we test with everyone else we won’t know how competitive we’ll be, but I do get a very good feeling from the car.

“You always enter every championship aiming to win it, you never pitch up and try to finish second, but winning championships involve a lot of luck, consistency, mechanical reliability and a lot of outside influences you can’t control, but I believe we have a car that can win races and challenge for the championship. I’m more optimistic than I have been for a number of years.”