 | |
| Formerly | SEAT Sport |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Predecessor | SEAT Special Vehicles department |
| Founded | 1985; 40 years ago (1985) |
| Founder | Daniel Alexander Evans |
| Headquarters | Abrera,Catalonia, Spain |
| Products | Performance cars Racing cars |
| Website | cupraofficial.es/racing |
Cupra Racing, formerly known asSEAT Sport, is the high-performancemotorsport subsidiary of the Spanish automobile manufacturerSEAT, founded in 1985,[1] succeeding the "SEAT Special Vehicles department" which had been formed in 1971 with the mission to enforce the brand's participation in rally championships, followed by 11 titles between 1979 and 1983.[2] In 2018, SEAT created theCupra brand as its independent high-performance branch and SEAT Sport was officially replaced by Cupra Racing.[3][4]
It has competed inrallying andtouring car racing, and also develops high performance versions of road cars. The result of this effort has been rewarded through SEAT's most prestigious titles inFIA championships, three conquests with the SEAT Ibiza Kit-Car in theFIA 2-Litre World Rally Cup in1996, 1997, 1998, and two wins with the SEAT León in the FIAWorld Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in2008 and2009.[5] Cupra also won theFIA ETCR – eTouring Car World Cup in2021 and2022 before the series was discontinued in 2023.[6][7]
Cupra partnered withAbt Sportsline as Abt Cupra in theall-electricSUVoff-road racing seriesExtreme E from2021 to2023 and theopen-wheel single-seater electric motorsport championshipFormula E from2022 to2024. Cupra later partnered withKiro Race Co in Formula E from2024.
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SEAT's first serious attempt at a World Rally Championship (WRC) was in the1977 season when the company took part with its 'SEAT 1430/124D Especial 1800' race car, and in its debut at theMonte Carlo Rally the SEAT team finished in third and fourth place with the official 1430-1800 cars being driven by Antonio Zanini and Salvador Cañellas. In recent years the consignment was burdened on the smallSEAT Ibiza, a 1.6L normally aspiratedfront-wheel drive car with its roots in theVolkswagen Polo. The Ibiza allowed the company to start building its rallying experience, and was officially engaged in some European national championships. The years went by and little success followed until a 2L version of the Ibiza washomologated as a kit-car, and extra wide tracks, larger wheels, brakes, etc., were fitted to it as the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) kit-car regulations allow. With these attributes, the car won the 2L World Championship three times ('96, '97, '98).
SEATs three conquests of the 2L FIA title, and the sport's popularity in Spain, convincedVolkswagen Group management to go further, and allocate sufficient budgets to the SEAT Sport department so as to allow it a chance to reach its goal. SEAT's project to build a WRC-spec car was officially announced during the 1997 San Remo rally. It was in 1998 that theSEAT Córdoba WRC was first enrolled by the company to compete at the highest level of WRC racing. The Córdoba was based on the family saloon of the same name but was, naturally, a WRC class car. It had a4 cylinderturbochargedpetrol engine, permanentfour-wheel drive, and active differentials were involved in its transmission. However, the shortwheelbase and high-mountedengine (compared to its rivals) worked against the Córdoba, and results weren't impressive. The main drivers were ex-WRC championDidier Auriol, along withHarri Rovanpera and rising Finnish starToni Gardemeister. They did achieve three podium finishes; at the 1999 Rally New Zealand (Gardemeister), the 1999 Rally of Great Britain (Rovanpera) as well as the 2000 Safari Rally (Auriol). SEAT pulled out of international rallying at the end of 2000.
In 2002 SEAT Sport set up theSEAT León Supercopa in Spain, a one-make series featuring theSEAT León. This format has since expanded across Europe, with the formation of theSEAT León Eurocup in 2008. In 2003, SEAT began entering theSEAT Toledo Cupra in theEuropean Touring Car Championship (ETCC) with driversJordi Gené andFrank Diefenbacher. FormerBritish Touring Car Championship winnerRickard Rydell joined them in 2004, taking their first victory.
In2005, the ETCC became the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).Peter Terting replaced fellow German Diefenbacher.Jason Plato also joined the team for four rounds, andMarc Carol for one round. Later in 2005, the León model made its debut.
In2006,Gabriele Tarquini,Yvan Muller andJames Thompson joined the team.André Couto,Oscar Nogués andFlorian Gruber also raced in one-off rounds.
In2007, Rydell, Thompson and Terting left the team and were replaced byMichel Jourdain Jr. andTiago Monteiro. Terting and Rydell later made one-off appearances for the team, as did Nogués. Towards the end of the season SEAT debuted theTDi diesel version of the León.
In2008, Jourdain left the team, as the team scaled down from a six-car to a five-car team. Yvan Muller won SEAT's first driver's championship in the WTCC and SEAT also won the manufacturers title.
In2009, SEAT Sport continued with the same five drivers, with French teamOreca assisting with the operation. Gabriele Tarquini won SEAT's second in-a-row driver's championship in the WTCC and SEAT won the manufacturers title for a second consecutive year.[citation needed]
After winning two consecutive driver's and manufacturers titles, SEAT withdrew from the WTCC at the end of the 2009 season as a manufacturer-backed team. However, in January 2010, it was announced that they would provide backing to the newly formedSR-Sport team run by SUNRED Engineering, while also confirming Gabriele Tarquini,Jordi Gene, Tiago Monteiro andTom Coronel as2010 drivers, as Yvan Muller departed for the worksChevrolet team.
For2012, SEAT announced that they will return to the WTCC Season as a Customer Supply team, SEAT Sport supplied engines in 2012 to the Lukoil Racing Team who run two 1.6T cars driven by veteran SEAT Driver Gabriele Tarquini and Aleksei Dudukalo. They also supplied 1.6T Engines to the Tuenti Racing Team who ran cars for Pepe Oriola and Fernando Monje, Tuenti Racing Team driver Tiago Monteiro ran a SEAT Sport TDI engine for the first weekend but then switched to a 1.6T engine supplied by SUNRED. Special Tuning Racing have run both a 1.6T engine and 2.0 TDI engine both supplied by SEAT Sport, Daryll O'Young has only used the 1.6T engine but Tom Boardman used the 2.0TDI from the start of the season till round 7. SUNRED engineering ran a SEAT Sport 2.0TDI engine at the start of the season in Andrea Barlesi's car but then switched to the SUNRED 1.6T engine from rounds 2-3.
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Between2004 and2008, SEAT Sport competed in theBritish Touring Car Championship, under the SEAT Sport UK banner.Jason Plato drove for the team for five years, whileRob Huff,James Pickford,Luke Hines,Darren Turner, James Thompson andWTCC regular Tom Coronel (as a one-off) also competed. Initially the cars were run by RML Group until they began concentrating on the Chevrolet WTCC project. Plato finished as championship runner-up in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 the TDi version was used, but reliability was a problem. Two teams continued to campaign petrol SEATs in the championship during2009 withAdam Jones and series returneeDan Eaves competitive for theCartridge World Clyde Valley team, whileGordon Shedden drove for Clyde Valley for a couple of events before it withdrew, but he returned to drive a Leon for theClub Seat outfit.
In2010, Tom Boardman drove a petrol SEAT Leon Under the team name Special Tuning UK with sponsorship from Club SEAT.Phil Glew joined Tom in a SEAT for one weekend at Silverstone racing under the team name of YourRacingCar.com but the car was run by Special Tuning UK.
In2011, Boardman andDave Newsham drove petrol SEATs under the team name Special Tuning Racing. Special Tuning Racing where not associated with SEAT Sport or SEAT Sport UK. Boardman came first in the third race at Knockhill.[8]
Cupra joinedPure ETCR, a new touring car series for electric cars,[9] in theinaugural season in 2021 alongsideHyundai andRomeo Ferraris.[10] Cupra partnered withZengő Motorsport and fieldedMattias Ekström,Jordi Gené,Mikel Azcona andDániel Nagy as the drivers line-up.[11][12][13] Cupra and Ekström finished the season as the manufacturers' and drivers' champions respectively.[6]
In2022, the series achieved FIA World Cup status and drivers and manufacturers competed for the FIA ETCR – eTouring Car World Cup.[14] Cupra partnered withEKS RX, a team founded by Ekström, as Cupra EKS. The team retained Ekström and Gené and signedTom Blomqvist andAdrien Tambay for the season.[15] Cupra and Tambay finished the season as the manufacturers' and drivers' champions respectively.[16]
In March 2023, Discovery Sports Events, the promoter of the series, announced that they will not be continuing for the 2023 season citing unresolvable differences among the various stakeholders concerning the sporting and regulatory format.[17][18]
| Founded | 14 September 2020; 4 years ago (2020-09-14) |
|---|---|
| No. | 125 |
| Nation | Germany |
| Folded | 6 December 2023; 15 months ago (2023-12-06) |
| Former names | Abt Cupra XE |
| Former series | Extreme E |
| Noted drivers |  Claudia HürtgenJutta Kleinschmidt Klara AnderssonMattias Ekström Nasser Al-Attiyah Sébastien LoebAdrien Tambay |
| Races | 20 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 5 |
| Best qualifiers | 1 |
| Super sectors | 0 |
| Points | 227 |
| First entry | 2021 Desert X-Prix |
| Last entry | 2023 Copper X-Prix |
| First win | 2022 Energy X-Prix |
| Last win | 2022 Energy X-Prix |
| Website | www |
In September 2020,Abt Sportsline confirmed a partnership with Cupra to formAbt Cupra XE for theinaugural season of theall-electric SUVoff-road racing seriesExtreme E with Mattias Ekström andClaudia Hürtgen as the original driver lineup.[19][20]Jutta Kleinschmidt replaced Hürtgen after Round 2 for the rest of the season.[21] The team earned their maiden podium by finishing second in theIsland X-Prix[22] and finished the season in fifth place.
Abt Cupra retained Kleinschmidt and signedNasser Al-Attiyah for the2022 season.[23] The team received special permission to modify the bodywork of theSpark Odyssey 21 with theCupra Tavascan Extreme E Concept design.[24]Klara Andersson replaced Kleinschmidt for the last two rounds of the season.[25] The team earned their second podium by finishing third in theCopper X-Prix and earned their first race victory in theEnergy X-Prix.[26][27] The team finished the season in sixth place.
Abt Cupra entered the2023 season with Andersson and Al-Attiyah and will also introduce a new Cupra Tavascan Extreme E Concept design.[28] For Rounds 5 and 6, 2022 season championSébastien Loeb replaced Al-Attiyah due to the event clashing with theBaja World Cup, of which Al-Attiyah is leading.[29] Loeb replaced Al-Attiyah again for Rounds 7 and 8.[30] The team clinched their first podium finishes of the season by finishing in second in Round 7 and third in Round 8 at the Island X-Prix II.[31][32] Abt Cupra also secured their first best qualifier in Extreme E in Round 8.[33]Adrien Tambay will partner Andersson for the final two rounds of the season.[34] The team suffered its first DNS on Round 9 after Andersson crashed after colliding withMcLaren'sHedda Hosås during qualifying.[35] Abt Cupra finished the season in sixth place.
In December 2023, Abt Cupra announced that the team will not return for the2024 season to focus on Formula E but are open to entering the newhydrogen-based off-road racing seriesExtreme H in 2025.[36][37]
| Current series | Formula E |
|---|---|
| Noted drivers |  Robin Frijns Nico Müller Lucas di Grassi Kelvin van der Linde |
| Races | 32 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Best qualifiers | 0 |
| Super sectors | 0 |
| Points | 77 |
| First entry | 2023 Mexico City ePrix |
| Last entry | 2024 London ePrix |
| Website | www |
In May 2022, Abt Sportsline, who leftFormula E after the2020–21 season, announced they would return for the2022–23 season with Cupra asAbt Cupra Formula E Team[38][39] using powertrains fromMahindra Racing.[40] The team signedNico Müller andRobin Frijns as drivers for the team.[41]Kelvin van der Linde was signed to replaced Frijns after the latter suffered a wrist and hand fracture at theMexico City e-Prix.[42] Mahindra withdrew from theCape Town e-Prix after the qualifying session due to safety concerns over the rear suspension. Abt Cupra, as Mahindra's customer, withdrew as well.[43] The team finished last in the Teams' Championship.
Frijns left the team for the2023–24 season.[44] He was replaced by former AbtAudi Sport driver and 2016–17 series championLucas di Grassi.[45] In April 2024, it was reported that Abt's powertrain deal with Mahindra will end at the conclusion of the 2023–24 season and will be usingLola-Yamaha powertrains for the2024–25 season onwards.[46] The team will enter the season as Lola Yamaha Abt Formula E Team, leaving Cupra's partnership status up in the air.[47][48] In November, it was announced that Lola has taken over Abt's Formula E entrants' licence, ending Cupra's run with the team.[49] A month later, ahead of the2024 São Paulo ePrix weekend, Cupra partnered withKiro Race Co to enter the 2024–25 season asCupra Kiro.[50]
| Year | Name | Car | Tyres | No. | G. | Drivers | Rounds | Pts. | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Abt Cupra XE | Spark Odyssey 21 | C | 125. | F | Claudia HürtgenJutta Kleinschmidt | (1–2) (2–5) | 100 | 5th |
| M | Mattias Ekström | (1–5) | |||||||
| 2022 | Abt Cupra XE | Spark Odyssey 21 | C | 125. | F | Jutta KleinschmidtKlara Andersson | (1–4) (4–5) | 46 | 6th |
| M | Nasser Al-Attiyah | (1–5) | |||||||
| 2023 | Abt Cupra XE | Spark Odyssey 21 | C | 125. | F | Klara Andersson | (1–10) | 81 | 6th |
| M | Nasser Al-AttiyahSébastien LoebAdrien Tambay | (1–4) (5–8) (9–10) |
| Year | Series | Races | Wins | Pod. | B/Qual. | S/S | Pts. | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Extreme E | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 5th |
| 2022 | Extreme E | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 6th |
| 2023 | Extreme E | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 81 | 6th |
(Races inbold indicate best qualifiers; races initalics indicate fastest super sector)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pts. | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Abt Cupra XE | DES 7 | OCE 5 | ARC 7 | ISL 2 | JUR 7 | 100 | 5th | |||||
| 2022 | Abt Cupra XE | DES 8 | ISL1 9 | ISL2 DSQ | COP 3 | ENE 1 | 46 | 6th | |||||
| 2023 | Abt Cupra XE | DES1 9 | DES2 4 | HYD1 10 | HYD2 8 | ISL-I1 4 | ISL-I2 6 | ISL-II1 2 | ISL-II2 3 | COP1 DNS | COP2 7 | 81 | 6th |
| Year | Chassis | Powertrain | Tyres | No. | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Points | T.C. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abt Cupra Formula E Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–23 | Formula E Gen3 | Mahindra M9Electro | H | MEX | DRH | HYD | CAP | SAP | BER | MCO | JAK | POR | RME | LDN | 21 | 11th | |||||||
| 4 | Robin Frijns | Ret | 14 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 10 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 17 | ||||||||||
| Kelvin van der Linde | 16 | 18 | Ret | WD | |||||||||||||||||||
| 51 | Nico Müller | 14 | Ret | Ret | 11 | WD | Ret | 15 | 9 | Ret | 11 | 12 | Ret | 6 | 10 | Ret | 8 | ||||||
| 2023–24 | Formula E Gen3 | Mahindra M9Electro | H | MEX | DIR | SAP | TOK | MIS | MCO | BER | SHA | POR | LDN | 56 | 9th | ||||||||
| 11 | Lucas di Grassi | Ret | 19 | 18 | 13 | Ret | 10 | 11 | 11 | Ret | 11 | 10 | 19 | 11 | 17 | 11 | 9 | ||||||
| 51 | Nico Müller | 17 | 18 | 13 | Ret | 7 | 11 | 4 | Ret | 15 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| Kelvin van der Linde | 11 | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| CupraKiro | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–25 | Formula E Gen3 Evo | Porsche 99X Electric WCG3 | H | SAP | MEX | JED | MIA | MCO | TOK | SHA | JAK | BER | LDN | ||||||||||
| 3 | David Beckmann | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 33 | Dan Ticktum | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"It was not so easy because before Season 9 it was quite a late decision from us to come back to Formula E so there was no opportunity, and now Cupra also decided quite late that they will partner with us," he said. "Now we're looking together with Cupra to find a good solution for Season 11."
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