The Toledo is not being consigned to the scrap heap just yet though as the regular three drivers will be joined by newcomer Marc Carol in one of the vacant saloons. The Spaniard is the reigning SEAT Leon Supercopa champion and the drive for his home race in Valencia is his prize for winning the title. At 20 years-old, Carol will be one of the younger drivers on the grid, but along with the Oreca run car of Stéphane Ortelli, there will be a total of five works SEATs racing in a bid to aid the brands position in the manufacturer’s championship, even if it is unlikely they will now be able to catch Alfa Romeo in second.
Actually managing to out score SEAT in the manufacturer’s championship in Turkey, Chevrolet’s impressive rate of development continues apace with Alain Menu again finding himself in the points, albeit in eighth place. The points finish was one of surprise too as the team had anticipated struggling on a track that favours grunt rather than agility. Nonetheless, Menu completed his third consecutive points finish and despite a slow start early in the season, the Swiss is now rapidly emerging as the number one driver in the Chevrolet team.
Indeed, with Nicola Larini crashing in both races and Rob Huff having to play catch up after failing to set a qualifying time for the first race, Menu is currently the only Lacetti pilot mixing with
BMW, Alfa Romeo and SEAT. It is a trend the team is keen to continue at Valencia, although they recognise that they need to perform better in qualifying in a bid to fight for points in the first race and then possibly benefit from the reverse grid system for the second. Nonetheless, Chevrolet are rapidly developing so points finishes are beginning to become more of an expectation rather than a surprise – a claim that they certainly could not make earlier in the year.
![Andy Priaulx [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/166470.jpg)
