Muller's SEAT team prepares the car's Yokohama Tyres before he takes to
the track at Monza today
YOKOHAMA GOES UP A GEAR UNDER STRESS


Media information: 07 October 2007


Yokohama ADVAN excelled in Monza's unique high-pressure environment today, carrying the FIA World Touring Car Championship's SEAT TDi to two victories.

The result is particularly remarkable given the diesel-engined car was one of the heaviest at the circuit, whose combination of long, fast straights and heavy braking already placed extreme stresses on the championship's official tyre.

The conditions presented teams with a tough choice as they tried to find the right camber settings to balance braking and cornering ability.

"Camber is the amount that the wheel appears to lean in or out when you view it from the front of the car," said Yokohama's Technical Consultant Ian Beveridge. "The different settings change the size and shape of the contact patch between rubber and road, which obviously has quite a marked affect on the car's grip.

"For good braking you need minimum camber to get as much tyre on the road as possible. Through the corners you need quite a lot, particularly through a long corner like the Parabolica, which goes on and on."

Muller is now level on points with championship leader Andy Priaulx SEAT usually runs high camber on the Leon, which concentrates pressure to the inside edge of the tyre down the straights but is needed to counteract the car's leaning through the corners. In Monza's unique conditions, that put the tyre under extreme stress but the Yokohama ADVANs came through, helping Yvan Muller level the points with WTCC leader Andy Priaulx.

"Monza is unusual," said the French driver, who won today's first race from pole position and is now looking to the final rounds in Macau. "Macau is not quite as quick and there are no long corners like the Parabolica and Lesmo, which means I will have less camber.

"In general I'm very pleased with the performance of the tyres. I won the race so they worked well for me!"

The final rounds of the 2007 FIA WTCC calendar will be held at Macau on November 18.