SEAT gone.

Leonidas

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They mustn't be completely closing it because there supporting the private run teams!
 

old 'uns

Modern Life is Rubbish...
Mar 20, 2003
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walsall
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but what do you class as support? covers a multitude of things.
you can bet that little development will happen, replacement parts only?
maybe it'll be like Prodrive when Subaru pulled the plug, their guys lost jobs but i think it was when Petter Solberg wanted a private Scooby the workers were bought back in on a contract purely to build that car
 

m0rk

sarcasm comes free
Staff member
May 19, 2001
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Clanfield, UK
I don't know why I've just remembered this

2011 brings in the new FIA rules

1.6T's

So a year out, see where the rules lie & move on from there

Most tin top based motorsport will use this new engine, WRC & WTCC

seems like a lame engine to me, but could be more suited marketing wise to a different chassis
 

JasonP06

Full Member
Sep 11, 2006
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but what do you class as support? covers a multitude of things.
you can bet that little development will happen, replacement parts only?
maybe it'll be like Prodrive when Subaru pulled the plug, their guys lost jobs but i think it was when Petter Solberg wanted a private Scooby the workers were bought back in on a contract purely to build that car

You know more than me so I would be inclined to go with that. You don't have to be a full works team building and running cars to do well. Toward the end of the last season Team Aon did well and Team Dynamics have won titles in the BTCC. Maybe if SEAT were to just build cars they could see some success.
 

warren_cox

Back from the dead
It's a real shame for the brand, and when I take a bit more of an overarching view of this I'm confused.

We live in a time when fuel types are changing, as is the core focus of what drives buyer behaviour in the showroom (tax / MPG / green etc...)

Manufacturers drove this aspiration to pour money into their motorsport efforts to be seen to win and be the best, but when the opportunity is there to scale back they'd rather run and hide than compete on even terms.

VAG are about to launch a £37.5k (fully loaded Golf R), the most expensive VAG hatch ever, but don't seem to have any tangible presence in the VAG group of any motorsport activity or involvement outside DTM or Le Mans which doesn't support this mainstream sector.

There must be a lot of customers, particularly in the UK, who buy into SEAT as a serious alternative to the VW/Audi stuff as it's still most of the car without the bull$hit perceptions that run alongside the perceived badge prestige. Even though I don't own a SEAT today, to me I am passionate about it for what it has achieved in its time playing the sporting brand (some far more memorable metal in some cases than VW/Audi).

This feels a tad like the brand is being neutered by Wolfsburg, and its such a shame. I for one will miss watching SEAT's at the weekend.
 

warren_cox

Back from the dead
Why do you think you'll have no SEAT's to watch?

I guess it's probably a concern that I worry there will hardly be any left. I manage to get to Thruxton once a year, and Brands if I'm lucky, but other than that I have limited time to visit grass roots motorsports events.

I was concerned that there may be a limit to the number of televised motoring events with SEAT's in there, but it sounds like there may be a few about so it's not all bad. It's just a shame to see the dilution.
 

chungster

SCN Veteran
May 27, 2001
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does it matter if there's no Seats on the grid? (yes i know this is SCN lol)

more importantly is to support domestic motorsport if you can. If people still go to see in their thousands, manufacturers will have no option but to get back out there with a motorsport marketing program imo.

I for one will be going to more rounds this year...to support Sarah/YRC and the AmD Golf BTCC campaign. Bored of the Time Attack / Drifting stuff now lol.
 

JasonP06

Full Member
Sep 11, 2006
369
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does it matter if there's no Seats on the grid? (yes i know this is SCN lol)

more importantly is to support domestic motorsport if you can. If people still go to see in their thousands, manufacturers will have no option but to get back out there with a motorsport marketing program imo.

I for one will be going to more rounds this year...to support Sarah/YRC and the AmD Golf BTCC campaign. Bored of the Time Attack / Drifting stuff now lol.

I agree. Too much emphasis is put on seeing the presence of the SEAT marque. SEAT aren't the first and won't be the last manufacturer to dissapear. Motorsport is more than a manufacturer. It is enjoying it for the support you are able to give - especially to young talent. I love seeing young drivers cut their teeth with TCR (and other teams of course) and wondering which one can and/or will make it big. Phil Glew will be one to watch if he get's a seat in the BTCC. I don't think Alex McDowall will, but I think he will make it big elsewhere.

But because many factories are subsidiaries of others it is legitimate to support others that are other companies in a group. And since VW is the owner of SEAT them AmD will offer former SSUK fans like moi a chance to support something that is a part of SEAT - though my primary team is WSR. I did support WSR long before SSUK debuted.
 
Sadly, one thing that is true is that without manufacturers, seats in teams are based on ability to pay. I think you'll be suprised who's racing this year. I just hope it doesn't turn any more into a rich-kids club. Nodoby minds people paying their way into teams but without raw talent coming through as well it could be a bit flat.
 
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