crash.net home
crash.net home
» Register or Sign-In    Email:   Password:



MENU

WTCC
Editorial
Columns
Media
Interactive





Add to Google
»

Home

»

WTCC

»

News Archive

»

Monteiro scores first WTCC victory in race 2

Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon TDI [pic credit: FIA WTCC]
[More Pictures]

Monteiro scores first WTCC victory in race 2

Monday, 7th April 2008

After a strong showing in the first race, SEATs dominated the second race in Puebla – filling the top six positions - to maintain the Spanish marque's dominance of the second round of the World Touring Car Championship.


Comment on this Story
Even though it was Chevrolet's Alain Menu who started from the reverse grid pole for race two after getting mugged by the Leons of Monteiro and Muller in the first event, it proved to be another diesel-powered SEAT annihilation (with Coronel's petrol version slotting into fourth) as the various Leons came through to sweep the most important positions by the chequered flag. The race also provided second year driver Tiago Monteiro with his first victory after switching from Formula One, as the Portuguese produced a flawless drive to lead from the first corner. An ecstatic Monteiro said, “I'm very happy because this is my first victory thanks to a car that adapted perfectly well to the track and great teamwork. We've scored a lot of points for SEAT which is the most important. And I'm personally very happy.”

Pole-sitter, Menu, who eventually finished seventh (the first non-SEAT finisher) was less than happy with his machinery: “The car felt a little bit better [than it had in race 1], although it now had some understeer. I dropped to second at the standing start and although I did my utmost there was just no keeping the turbo diesels behind. On this track we didn't seem to have the necessary grunt, but I'm still happy that I scored points in both races.”

The start was clean but, once again, Jörg Müller and Alessandro Zanardi had clashes on the first lap, and the German later left the track, rejoining to finish the race behind Zanardi in twelfth place. Menu also ran wide and fell down to tenth position, a mistake that allowed the SEATs to dominate. The Swiss battled back up to seventh behind Tom Coronel, who rounded off SEAT's top six positions.

Advertisement [Go Advertisement Free]
< < < 1 2 3 > > >
Page 1 of 3
NEXT PAGE »»
Comment on this Story
AddThis Feed Button
Related Images
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon TDI [pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro (POR) - SEAT Sport SEAT Lion
Tiago Monteiro (POR) - SEAT Sport SEAT Lion
Tiago Monteiro (POR) - SEAT Sport SEAT Lion
Tiago Monteiro (POR) - SEAT Sport SEAT Lion
Tiago Monteiro (POR) - SEAT Sport SEAT Lion
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon [Pic credit: SEAT Sport]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon [Pic credit: SEAT Sport]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon [Pic credit: SEAT Sport]
Tiago Monteiro will contest his first Dakar Rally aboard an SMG-prepared Buggy   [pic credit: Tiago Monteiro press office]
Yvan Muller leads Tiago Monteiro in their SEAT Sport SEAT Leon TDIs [pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon TDI [pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon TDI [pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon TDI [pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon TDi [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]
Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon TDi [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]
[Top of Article]

Related News Stories

Related Audio

Event Results

Event Reports