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SEAT Sport scores WTCC double
Gabriele Tarquini beat his team-mate and defending champion Yvan Muller to win the 2009 World Touring Car Championship at the final round in Macau yesterday. SEAT Sport also celebrated winning a second consecutive manufacturers’ title, beating rivals BMW by just three points.
Tarquini and Muller had to fight to secure their 1-2 placing; they both ended up in hospital after crashing during Friday’s qualifying session, and their mechanics had to work hard to make the cars were race-ready by Sunday.
"After that accident, when I saw the car, I immediately thought that the championship was over, said Tarquini. “But the guys, when I came out of the hospital, they said ‘don't worry, the crash is big but the damage is less than in the morning’.
"I was really surprised and I asked them if they were sure about it. They said: 'yeah, no problem, we will rebuild the car like new.' And to be honest, I was really surprised with the car in the warm-up because it was fantastic."
“It’s amazing to clinch the title after such a long career,” said the 47-year-old. “My target and my goal was to win the world title, because maybe it was my last chance as I am not very young anymore. As for the future, I don't know yet. I just want to have a holiday now, 20 or 30 days to think about my future, and I am sure it is the best way to have this rest with the title in my hands."
“Winning two championships for the second year in a row is the reward for a fantastic year and I want to thank the whole team for their effort, their great capacity for work and their solidarity,” said Jaime Puig, Director of SEAT Sport.
“The races in Macau have shown that we are a team in which everybody works for everybody. After the two championships achieved last year, we wanted to take at least one of the titles this year, and we took them both. It’s been an extraordinary result."
Chevrolet’s Rob Huff won race one convincingly, ahead of Tarquini and Jordi Gené in second and third place, allowing Tarquini to build up a points cushion ahead to Muller, who finished back in sixth place.
Augusto Farfus won an incident-packed second race after leading off the line ahead of BMW team-mate Jorg Muller. The safety car was brought out on lap three after Tom Boardman crashed in the Solitude Esses, and then the race was red-flagged at the end of lap eight when there was a spectacular crash involving three cars at the track’s final corner.
With debris all over the track there was no option but to halt the race and, after a brief delay, it was decided that the event would not be restarted. Tarquini's fifth place was enough for him to take the title crown, and for SEAT Sport to clinch the manufacturers’ championship.
Position |
Driver |
Team |
Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) | SEAT Sport | 127 |
| 2 | Yvan Muller (FRA) | SEAT Sport | 123 |
| 3 | Augusto Farfus (BRA | BMW | 113 |
| 4 | Andy Priaulx (GBR) | BMW | 84 |
| 5 | Robert Huff (GBR) | BMW | 76 |
| 6 | Jörg Müller (GER) | BMW | 76 |
| 7 | Rickard Rydell (SWE) | SEAT Sport | 64 |
| 8 | Jordi Gené (ESP) | SEAR Sport | 48 |
| 9 | Tiago Monteiro (ESP) | SEAT Sport | 44 |
| 10 | Alain Menu (FRA) | Chevrolet | 39 |
Position |
Manufacturer |
Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SEAT | 314 |
| 2 | BMW | 311 |
| 3 | Chevrolet | 215 |
| 4 | Lada | 83 |
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