» WTCC: Three SEATs to run new turbo engine

SUNRED Engineering has confirmed that three of its six cars will field its new 1.6-litre turbocharged engines at this weekend’s World Touring Car Championship Race of Hungary at Budapest.

In contrast to initial speculation, Michel Nykjær, Pepe Oriola and Fredy Barth have been given the honours of sampling the new engine specification, while the more senior Gabriele Tarquini, Tiago Monteiro – along with Aleksei Dudukalo – will continue with the venerable turbodiesel units in their SEAT Leóns.

The new engine is seen as a necessary step for the Spanish squad to compete with the Chevrolets and BMWs already running their own bespoke turcharged engines under this year’s new regulations.

SUNRED completed many testing miles in Spain last week to bed in the new engines.

True to form, the three RML Chevrolets of Alain Menu, Robert Huff and Yvan Muller were fastest in the free test session at the Hungaroring on Friday, while Robert Dahlgren finished a surprising fourth-fastest in his normally-aspirated Volvo C30.

[Image via FIA WTCC Media]