SEAT Sport is a special department within the SEAT group formed in 1985 that concentrates on motorsport: Under the leadership of its director Jaume Puig, SEAT Sport develops the most potent vehicles of the SEAT range, and competes in top league race competitions – such as the FIA’s World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). The five pilots of the excellent Team SEAT are Jordi Gené (Spain), Tiago Monteiro (Portugal), Yvan Muller (France), Rickard Rydell (Sweden) and Gabriele Tarquini (Italy) – plus the independent Dutch pilot Tom Coronel. It is in 2008 that Team SEAT makes history by claiming both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ title. But how did we get to the top? Buckle up for a race back in time, and read about the most significant periods in our high-powered history of racing.

In 2008, Team SEAT makes history under the direction of Jaume Puig by winning the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) manufacturers’ title for the first time. And powered by a diesel engine, too! Our unbeatable fleet of SEAT Leon TDI® WTCCs takes the unprecedented win – while Yvan Muller wins the drivers’ championship. It’s the 150^th anniversary year of Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, and we couldn’t think of a grander way to congratulate.

In 2007, the Team SEAT pilots enjoy a historical moment when Yvan Muller comes first in his SEAT Leon TDI® at a WTCC race in Oschersleben: Never before has a car equipped with a diesel engine won a FIA world championship race.

In 2006, we finish our best season to that date as runners-up in the WTCC – bettered only by BMW.

In 2005, the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) is created. SEAT participates with the evolution of the SEAT Toledo CUPRA – although in the final stretch the SEAT Leon becomes the official vehicle. SEAT Sport repeats its success of the campaign of 2004, finishing in third position.

In 2004, we consolidate our official race team with an excellent season in the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), and come third with a SEAT Toledo CUPRA.

2003 is officially the year when SEAT starts playing an important role in international race competitions, more precisely by joining the ETCC at the helm of the SEAT Toledo CUPRA.

In 2005, the 4^th edition of the SEAT Leon Supercopa – a single brand racing trophy first organised by SEAT in 2002 – fully consolidates the event’s position on the motoring competition calendar with the first ever SEAT Leon Supercopa European Masters meeting. The race brings together the best drivers from each country in which the competition is held – including Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Turkey.

The second edition of the SEAT Leon Supercopa in 2003 is a momentous event with more than 100,000 spectators.

In 2002, SEAT Sport organises the single brand racing trophy SEAT Leon Supercopa in Spain for the first time, stressing the team’s aim to focus on racing from 2003 onwards. The event is held with 250 hp versions of the SEAT Leon CUPRA R. It is the fastest promotional cup based on touring cars.

Early in 2001, SEAT Sport enters the Spanish Asphalt and Gravel Rally Championship, an ambitious plan involving the two official teams of the Spanish brand: Telefónica MoviStar and SEAT Repsol YPF.

In the first rally of the championship, Telefónica MoviStar driver Salvador Cañellas, grabs second place. Weeks later, Marc Blázquez, official driver of SEAT Repsol YPF, makes his debut in the World Rally Championship (WRC), aboard the Cordoba WRC. He is able to finish the Portugal Rally – a significant achievement considering that only 25% of participants get to the finishing line. Soon after, Cañellas lands a brilliant 6^th place after the first leg in the Cataluña-Costa Brava Rally, while Blázquez steps up on the podium in almost every asphalt race. After succeeding in the Orense and Santander Rallies, he finishes over-all runner up in the Spanish Asphalt Rally Championship, while Cañellas reaches the top podium in Lleida, finishes second in the Murcia Rally and comes third in Valencia. Blázquez shows that he, too, is able to drive on asphalt: After competing three times in the Spanish Asphalt Championship, he finishes in second position at the Salou and Rias Baixas Rallies.

At the end of 2000, SEAT Sport announces a new direction: a shift in focus from exclusive devotion to motorsport towards the development and production of limited editions of the brand's top performance vehicles. Cars like the 150hp/114kw SEAT Ibiza CUPRA R prototype or, more recently, the 225hp/165kw SEAT Leon CUPRA R are all products of SEAT Sport's new orientation.

The year 2000 brings SEAT various racing successes: Most significantly, the team plays a strong role in Kenya, the hardest rally of the calendar, where it leads the World Rally Championship (WRC) with the SEAT Cordoba WRC. In Finland, the third evolution of the car, the E3, is launched.

In 1999 Piero Piatti and Harri Rovanperä win their first scratch of the WRC in their SEAT Cordoba WRCs at the most renowned Montecarlo Rally lap, the Turini Col. Rovanperä is the fastest at the Channel 4 Rally in Finland with the second evolution of the vehicle, the E2. Toni Gardemeister gets the first podium at the New Zealand Rally – also in a SEAT Cordoba WRC.

The first generation of the SEAT Cordoba WRC makes its debut in Finland. It wins its first point at the RAC Rally in Great Britain.

The 1998 season is historical for SEAT Sport: The SEAT Ibiza Kit-Car wins the third consecutive FIA 2l World Rally Championship (WRC) title with drivers Harri Rovanperä, Oriol Gómez, Toni Gardemeister, Jörgen Jonasson and Gwyndaf Evans.

SEAT Sport begins the 1997 season with a very high bar to jump after the success of the previous year: to win the recently created FIA 2l WRC. The second edition of the SEAT Ibiza Kit-Car, the EVO2, makes its debut at the Spanish Rally. The car’s first triumphs are taken at the Argentina Rally with a double-win in its class. From this point on, SEAT Sport wins every single time it takes part in a race: We take eight consecutive wins in such demanding rallies as those of Italy, Indonesia and New Zealand as well as the RAC rallies.

In 1996, SEAT Sport faces its most important challenge ever by participating in the FIA 2l WRC with the first generation of the SEAT Ibiza Kit-Car. After finishing eight rallies with various results we become FIA 2l World Rally Champion at the RAC Rally of Great Britain. It is the first time we participate in the WRC, and victory is obtained in the last race of the season: a feat no other brand has ever attained before.

In 1995, after 18 years away from the World Championship, SEAT Sport makes a comeback with the Ibiza 1.8 16V group A, driven by German pilot Erwin Weber, it finishes third among 2WD class cars at the Portugal Rally. In Greece’s Acropolis Rally, we achieve a historic double-win with Weber and Rius in first and second position of their class. The Ibiza 16V Cup is inaugurated.

1994 is a year of success for the SEAT Toledo Marathon. We take part in the Off Track World Rally Cup, and gain second place with German driver Weber at the Baja de Portugal. At the Baja España he also gets to the podium in third position. The other SEAT Toledo Marathon driven by José M^a Serviá comes fourth. Another significant event for SEAT Sport is the Greece Raid where Serviá finishes second with the Toledo Marathon.

1993 is a year of economic crisis with an obvious effect on sports car races. Measures taken to cope with the situation include concentrating in supporting and enhancing the SEAT Marbella Cups, which are in their 7^th edition. Asphalt races are initiated, and efforts and budgets are directed to national races, while regional championships have to be left out.

1992 is a milestone for SEAT Sport: After six years of research we design a high competition vehicle, the SEAT Toledo Marathon – a vehicle capable of racing the most challenging international programmes and brings us some great victories. It makes its debut at the Baja Portugal in 1993, driven by José M^a Serviá.

In 1991, SEAT Sport continues representing V W Motorsport and Audi Sport on the racetrack. Rius wins the Córdoba Rally and the RACE Rally, while José M^a Serviá wins the Mijas Rally and takes the Spanish Raid Championship title for the second time.

In 1990, the SEAT Marbella Proto races in the National Track Championship. Antonio Rius runs for V W in the asphalt rallies with a Golf G60 , while José M^a Serviá comes first in the Spanish Raid Cup with an Audi Coupé Quattro Raid developed by SEAT Sport.

In 1989, we decide to participate in the first edition of the Spanish Raid Cup, and José M^a Serviá wins the two-wheel drive class. In the Spanish Rally on Track Championship, Antonio Rius wins – also in the two-wheel drive class – at the wheel of the Marbella Proto. International motorcycle champions such as Alex Crivillé, Joan Garriga and Jordi Tarrés drive the Marbella Proto at various promotional races.

In 1988, SEAT Sport takes part in the Spanish Asphalt Championship with the V W Golf GTI group A and the SEAT Marbella Proto. We also race the National Track Championship with the SEAT Ibiza twin-engine. The SEAT Marbella Proto is equipped with a compressor, allowing for 140 hp, and wins the championship. While the Ibiza twin-engine ends its life cycle with an absolute victory. Serviá wins the two-wheel drive class with his V W Golf GTI Safari in the International Baja de Aragón.

In 1987, the recently created SEAT Sport department sends two official teams to the starting line of two Spanish Rally Championships: asphalt and track. Our drivers are the brothers Salvador and José M^a Serviá. Salvador commences a year of success at the steering wheel of a V W Golf GTI, winning the Costa Brava Rally – a rally that is included in the European Championship with a very high score. At the end of the year Salvador comes second in the Spanish Championship. Meanwhile, José M^a wins several rallies with the Ibiza Bimotor (twin-engine), one of our major developments. After such a positive start, SEAT Sport keeps participating in competitions.

Due to changes in our brand’s priorities our motorsport activities are curtailed in 1980 – until our return to the arena in 1985. Hence, 1985 is the year we return to race competitions, and the SEAT Sport department is created. We begin rally racing in Spain with our own 4-wheel drive. At this stage, however, we don’t have the resources to develop a sophisticated 4-wheel-drive transmission, so we make things happen our own way: by fitting two engines into an Ibiza (one in the front and one in the rear) and transmitting power from each to one set of axles. It is our first 4-wheel drive car, and it wins several rallies in Spain in the seasons of 1986 and 1987. Soon after, we return to front-wheel drive and come out top of our class in the Spanish Rally Championship with the tiny SEAT Marbella.

The greatest result of those times comes in 1977: We win the Manufacturers Trophy in the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally, where our pilot Zanini comes third and Cañellas fourth.

In 1976 and 1979, our pilot Antonio Zanini comes second in the European Championship races.

The 1972 Rally Championship ends with Cañellas' title – and it is the beginning of a long list of titles in the Spanish Rally Championship. This championship ends in 1978.

In 1971 we create the Special Vehicles department – a unit formed especially for the participation in racing competitions the following year. The first team of pilots is made up of Salvador Cañellas and Jorge Babler. Look at it as the embryonic form of the motorsport unit SEAT Competición and later SEAT Sport. The first victory comes in 1972 in the RACE Rally that Cañellas wins driving a SEAT 124-1600 TC. It marks the beginning of a period of absolute domination of SEAT in the Spanish rallying scene: Between 1973 and 1979 we participate in 104 rallies, win 39 and make a total of 96 podiums. In regional championships we win 250 times and make over 750 podiums. In the Touring Class championships, we take 11 titles between 1979 and 1983.

SEAT first moves into motorsport by creating a racing formula for the Spanish circuits in 1970, known as the Fórmula Nacional, or later on the Fórmula 1430: This race formula gives young Spanish drivers access to races with single-seater racing vehicles equipped with the engine of the SEAT 1430 and a SEAT 6700 gearbox. The successful first race takes place at the Jarama circuit in Madrid, with a total line-up of 27 cars. The SEAT 1430 is also known as 'The Rally Taxi', as the model is often used as a taxi in Spain – and we achieve several international successes.