CORONEL STAYS WITH SUNRED
Tom Coronel will stay in the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2009. The Dutch driver who won last year’s second race in Okayama, will be racing again a SEAT León car run by the Spanish team SUNRED and supported by SEAT’s Dutch importer Pon Car.
“Being able to race at world championship level is great and I am very happy that it all came together in the end once more. I feel like a SEAT guy and I will remain a SEAT guy!” commented Coronel.
SEAT importer Pon Car, SUNRED and SEAT Sport have worked hard to prepare the best possible package for the 2009 season and the opportunity to have Coronel driviing a diesel-powered SEAT León TDI car, like those used by the factory team was also considered.
“However, after consultations with everyone involved, we decided to continue with the petrol-powered León,” explained Marco de Bos, managing director of Pon Car. “It is quite unique for a Dutch driver to compete in a world championship for the fifth year running and we are happy that we can continue our partnership with Tom.”
Coronel is looking forward to racing in the WTCC again this year. “I am happy that the partnership with SUNRED goes on. My first year with them was very positive and I really feel at home with them. Last year, our results were very good already, so that gives me a positive feeling.”
SEAT CONFIRM WINNING TEAM
SEAT president Erich Schmitt officially confirmed that the SEAT Sport team will compete in the 2009 World Touring Car Championship
SEAT president Erich Schmitt officially confirmed that the SEAT Sport team will compete in the 2009 World Touring Car Championship with the same five drivers they had in 2008: the new world champion Yvan Muller, Jordi Gené, Tiago Monteiro, Rickard Rydell and Gabriele Tarquini.
The announcement was delivered yesterday in Barcelona, during a gala in which SEAT Sport celebrated their victory in the 2008 FIA WTCC Drivers‘ and Manufacturers‘ championships.
"Competition is very important to our brand and I am very proud of the successes achieved by our team. I would like to thank Jaime Puig and all of the drivers because the magnificent teamwork they performd last year was the key to our success. I am pleased to announce that SEAT will defend the world championship titles with the same team and the same drivers," Erich Schmitt said.
During their winning season the five SEAT Sport’s drivers and SEAT Netherlands‘ Tom Coronel collected twelve victories out of the championship’s twenty-four rounds and five pole positions.