SEAT Sport confirms Tiago Monteiro

Spanish team SEAT Sport strengthened its driver line-up in the World Touring Car Championship by signing Portugal's Formula 1 hero Tiago Monteiro to drive the fifth SEAT León WTCC in 2007. The 30 year old former Formula 1 driver will be joined in the official SEAT Sport squad by touring car aces Jordi Gene, Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini and fellow open-wheel racing star Michel Jourdain Jr of Mexico. Monteiro, who was introduced to the car during a brief test session in Valencia in February, will make his WTCC debut in May, in the second race weekend of the season in Zandvoort (Netherlands).

The Oxford-based Portuguese unexpectedly failed to secure a race deal with Spyker in Formula 1 this year, the Dutch team naming German rookie Adrian Sutil to partner Christijan Albers. Monteiro, who competed in 36 starts for Jordan and Midland with a best finish of third in the controversial 2005 US Grand Prix, chose in 2007 to race in the highly competitive WTCC series rather than to test in Formula 1.

"Obviously I am very satisfied with the agreement reached with SEAT Sport to become an official team driver", Monteiro said. "Since testing the car in Valencia, I realised that the team has great experience and can compete at the highest professional level. With the team's help I am sure that I will be able to learn rapidly in such a different championship and to be among the best as soon as possible."

Jaime Puig, head of SEAT Sport: "We are delighted to welcome a pilot of Tiago Monteiro's statue to SEAT Sport. Our race cars are already in Curitiba, Brazil, so Tiago will make his debut for us in the second race meeting of the Championship in the Netherlands.

Until then, we will make sure he is able to gain as much information as possible about the SEAT León WTCC and the Championship, to enable him to make the best debut possible."

SEAT finished second to BMW in the 2006 Manufacturers' Championship and Monteiro is supposed to help the Spanish outfit to clinch the title this year.