SEAT driver Tiago Monteiro has predicted a tough weekend at Valencia as he looks to add to his maiden World Touring Car Championship win last time out at Puebla.
The former
F1 racer heads to the Spanish circuit carrying 32 kilos of ballast on his Leon TDi as a result of his performances to date this year which could well hinder him at a circuit expected to be less well suited to the diesel-powered machine.
Indeed, Monteiro found himself behind the Lada of Jaap van Lagen during the recent test at Valencia and he said that his aim for the weekend ahead would be just to bring the car home in the points in both races.
"The tests that we conducted at Valencia confirm that this is not the best circuit for us," he said. "It is complicated maintaining the car on the ideal trajectory in its fast corners and the tyres suffer a lot. My strategy will be based on the search for the most appropriate adjustments to a good position on the starting grid, and then to contest both races while not losing site of the fact that in my case, with 32 additional kilos, being in the top ten would already be a good finish. Scoring points at Valencia would have a particular significance for me and would help SEAT in both championships."
Monteiro added that it would be vital for the team to try and score well at circuits not suited to the Leon in order to try and establish a championship challenge with the series becoming stronger with each race weekend.
"Our objective is to keep on working to climb the podium and conquer other wins,” he said. “But you have to learn to attack at the right time. The WTCC is becoming more and more competitive and each car has circuits that are favourable to it. So it is very important to calm things down on the circuits that don't smile upon us."
![Tiago Monteiro - SEAT Sport SEAT Leon TDi [Pic credit: FIA WTCC]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/426318.jpg)
