Seat’s legacy, now passed to Cupra, in the world of racing has been extensive and successful, having participated in many championships and competitions around the world.
Since the birth of Cupra, the brand has become a standard bearer of mobility, modernity and sportiness for the new generations and these values have been transferred from the street to competitions with the presence in ETCR and Extreme E, two championships with a clear commitment on innovation with electric vehicles and with formats that tend to offer a different spectacle from traditional races.
In conjunction with the ETCR race held at the Jarama circuit, Wayne Griffiths was able to see firsthand how a weekend in this championship goes and he was able to be close to his team, even taking to the track as a co-driver of the Cupra and -Racer with reigning champion Mattias Ekstrom.
Photo by: CUPRA
The Spanish brand is officially involved in Extreme E and ETCR, two fully electric championships with race formats designed for the new generation. According to Wayne Griffiths, Seat Cupra CEO, this will be the way forward in the coming years.
Griffiths had fun in Jarama and was convinced of the importance of this type of championship for Cupra.
“Motorsport is part of our DNA – he said – Obviously Cupra is a brand for the next generation of car enthusiasts, so we have to give them an answer on what motorsport means in this new era.”
“What is clear is that in the future the emissions will be zero, I don’t think racing on tracks that produce a lot of CO2 is acceptable for the next generation and we need to find a solution to this problem.”
And this solution seems clear to the Spanish brand: ETCR and Extreme E are its future bets to engage this new group of car enthusiasts.
“When I joined the company we were involved in touring car racing, so we decided very quickly to switch to electric,” commented Griffiths in relation to the transition from WTCR to electric championships.
“Let’s see how it goes in the future, but I believe that both, ETCR and Extreme E, contribute to positioning Cupra as a contemporary brand for the next generation of car enthusiasts, with brand values linked to sustainability but also to emotions”.
Photo by: CUPRA
Cupra’s future in racing is electric
Convinced of the values ETCR can bring to Cupra’s strategy, Griffiths also believes the championship needs to better position itself to attract new audiences.
“Extreme E is very exciting, incredible, an adventure, it goes to crazy places all over the world. I just talked to the organizers of the ETCR: we have to transfer this experience here too.”
I think it’s great that electric cars compete here, but if you want to involve young customers, you also need to change the environment in which you race, compared to the old combustion cars. “
“So choosing particular zones and more. If you want them here, then you have to bring a party here. What I don’t like is that in the VIP areas, where the pilots are, everything is separate. Okay, the pilots need the their privacy, they need to be focused, but I think we need to bring people closer to the action, making the experience more emotional. “
Photo by: CUPRA
“This has great potential because touring cars, including past and future auto racing with electric ones, I think is one of those areas where you can really build a bridge between racing and road cars, of course. you can’t do it with other series of prototypes or with Formula 1 “.
One of the biggest problems ETCR faces is the lack of interest from the brands in these first two years of the championship, given that so far only Cupra, Hyundai and Romeo Ferraris have given their support.
“In the last two years we have been busy with Covid, which has kept everyone in jerk for two years! So you have to accept it, in reality we are practically facing the first year”.
“We are in, Hyundai and Romeo Ferraris too, but it is necessary that other brands sign up, that there is more competition, more cars, but I think it’s pretty cool when you look at the races. I think the potential is there.”
“I just told Marcello Lotti that what we shouldn’t do is try to rewrite history by taking what it was and trying to make this story electric. Now it has to be something new, fun, engaging, both on and off the track, plus integrative, bringing people closer to the experience, and more emotional. And if we can do it, it could be a success. “
With the potential plan for the next generation of the WTCR to be hybrid, Griffiths does not rule out the presence of Cupra, but admits that it is difficult to be in the series as a factory team.
“We will present in racing what we offer in road cars, ie electrified vehicles, given that Cupra is such a brand, in a long-term vision, after 2030 it will be completely electric with battery”.
Photo by: CUPRA
“But this is in the making, because there is still a long time to 2030. I think it takes time for the WTCR to understand our technology and the hybrid one. But our way of contributing to reducing emissions, while being able to compete in a fun race, is fundamental. , so I believe that the hybrid on the combustion TCRs of car touring is the right step, not doing it would be unacceptable “.
“But, as a brand with our drivers, we are focused on the ETCR and the electric, because we have to be focused on something, not on everything doing multiple things at the same time.”
“We will certainly do the hybrid thing, since in TCR we build cars for customers, but as a racing team it depends, we have to be focused on one thing, we are a small company, we cannot do everything we want.”
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