SEAT has won the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Manufactures’ title for the first time – defeating Vauxhall, who had won the title every year since 2001.

In only its third season of participation, and the first with the new Leon, SEAT scored 11 wins and 24 podium finishes in the 30 races to beat Vauxhall by 44 points.

SEAT Sport UK team driver Jason Plato also finished runner-up in the BTCC Drivers’ standings.

SEAT secured the Manufactures’ title in the first of three BTCC races around the Silverstone National Circuit. With 26 cars racing around the 1.639 mile track, race day was full of incident – and the SEAT Sport UK team worked magnificently well to repair Jason and James Thompson’s cars, after they were both involved in a crash in the second race, which resulted in the race being stopped.

For the first time this season, all three team drivers – Jason, James and Darren Turner – raced together, and they celebrated winning the BTCC title in style by finishing in formation at the end of the 30th and final race of the season.

Round 28: SEAT clinched the BTCC Manufacturers’ title in the first of three races, after James and Jason finished 5th and 8th respectively. After an excellent qualifying performance, Darren started from 4th on the grid and held that position, but a lack of grip under braking saw him drop back. He was in 6th place when Fabrizio Giovanardi fired him off into the gravel on lap 14. James started from 7th on the grid and had a close six-way battle for second place, despite been hit hard by Gordon Shedden on the opening lap. Jason started from 13th on the grid and was embroiled in close battles before finishing 8th.

Round 29: There was more than a hint of relief in the SEAT Sport UK pit garage that the team had won title in the previous race, as Darren started Round 29 with a clutch problem from the pit lane and Jason and James crashed out on lap two. As Colin Turkington spun coming into the Silverstone complex for the second time, all the cars behind bunched up and nudged into each other. Unfortunately, Jason’s front right wheel hit the car in front, and as he was attempting to pull off on the outside of the circuit with either a broken driveshaft or a tyre off the rim, Mike Jordon and James collided and hit Jason. All three cars retired instantly and the race was red flagged. After the restart Darren raced hard to finish 10th, while Tom Ferrier brought his Motorbase Performance SEAT Toledo home in 7th.

Round 30: Jason secured the runners-up spot in the BTCC Drivers’ standings when he finished 4th in the final race of the year. It was a magnificent drive, as he’d started from 20th position on the grid. James finished right behind in 5th – which was equally impressive as he’d started 21st. For much of the 22 lap race, the three SEAT Leons ran in formation – and that’s where they finished, with Darren coming home 6th. Tom Ferrier proved how competitive the SEAT Toledo still is by finishing 8th – having run as high as 3rd.

Jason (8th/DNF/4th) said: “Winning the BTCC Manufacturers’ title is a fantastic achievement, especially when you bear in mind the cruel luck that we’ve had this season. Of course you have to take the rough with the smooth and I’m pleased to have won eight races and I’m disappointed to have had just as many DNFs, but that’s racing. Everyone at SEAT Sport UK has worked so incredibly hard and to beat Vauxhall, who have had a stranglehold on the title since 2001 and who have never really looked like it was ever going to be taken away from them. It’s a phenomenal achievement – especially as we have won it in a car which, by regulation, is slower. We should be very proud.”

James (5th/DNF/5th) said: “It’s been a hard fought series, the title went down to the final race meeting of the season and it’s great to be part of the winning SEAT team. There has been some fantastic racing and some great action and I think that when you look back at the 2006 BTCC it will be fondly remembered as a damned good series. For me it’s been a little bit frustrating at times to miss some events and then return and try and fit in – it’s not the same intensity that you carry over from race to race when you’re doing the full season. But, having said that, SEAT Sport UK has made me feel very much part of the team, I’ve contributed a lot towards the Manufacturer points total and overall it’s been a great team effort. Of course, I’ve got another final race weekend to look forward to in Macau. It’s still possible for me to win the World Touring Car Championship – it’s a bit of a long shot, but mathematically we can do it and as long as that holds true I’ll be out there trying.”

Darren (DNF/10th/6th) said: “I haven’t scored as many points as I’d have like to have done this year, but I think I’ve helped SEAT win the BTCC Manufacturers’ title by absorbing a lot of bad luck! Today was a similar thing really. I got punted off in the first race, I had a clutch problem in the second race then the third race was okay. I didn’t seem to have the race pace at Silverstone today, but overall I’m really pleased about how the season has gone. It’s a great way to end the year by winning a major title like this and I’m proud to have played a part in the team’s success on my first every involvement in the BTCC.”

Scott Dennis, SEAT UK Motorsport Manager, said: “Winning the BTCC is a huge achievement for SEAT – for the brand, for everyone that’s involved in the motorsport programme, for everyone at head office, for our dealers and for our customers who have bought into the brand for what we are. Winning the Manufacturers’ title is just reward for all the hard work and a lot of personal sacrifices that have happened over the last three years – and to take it away from a brand like Vauxhall, who have won it for the last five years, gives it even more meaning.”

Jaime Puig, Director of SEAT Sport in Spain, said: “SEAT UK has been involved with motorsport for many years; first in rallying, then in the BTCC, and this is a great reward for the team's hard work over the whole season. This title is another step in consolidating our Touring Car programme and I'd like to send my congratulations to everyone at SEAT Sport UK. This is a team award and so everyone in the team has played a part in winning it – the drivers, the engineers and mechanics and also Scott Dennis and the marketing people. There have been a lot of people pushing from behind the scenes over the years and this is their prize also. We already have the title in Finland and the drivers’ title in Italy and the Independents’ title in the WTCC, and the British title is a very important and prestigious one for us also.”