Repsol’s presence in international rally competition has not been limited to the World Rally Championship. The company has also made its mark in the 2–Litre World Championship, as a backer of SEAT. With REPESA having collaborated with SEAT in the 1970s, in 1996 and 1997 the pairing took the 2–Litre World Championship title.
The high costs involved in developing a specific turbo 4–wheel drive vehicle for the World Rally Championship, and the requirement to produce 2,500 units for homologation, led to the creation of the Formula 2 class in 1994. This series would feature 2–litre vehicles with single axle propulsion.
Repsol was represented in this category for the first time courtesy of the Nissan team which took part in the Catalonia–Costa Brava in 1994. Tommi Makinen retired from the race, Servia finished in his Nissan Sunny GTI.
In 1995, SEAT took part in a small project in Portugal, Greece and Finland, returning to top competition after 18 years away. Their best results were the two first places at the Acropolis Rally, thanks to drivers Erwin Weber and Antoni Rius in their Seat Ibiza GTI 16 Vs.
Due to the ever–elevating costs of the Group A class, the FIA decided to create a new category called the ‘Kit Car’ –essentially an F–2 vehicle with homologation limited to 20 units- and later the ‘World Rally Car’ class. In 1996, SEAT decided to make the move up to the 2–Litre World Championship, debuting at the RAC Rally in Great Britain.
With Erwin Weber and Jesus Puras, the Spanish team had a slow start –despite taking the victory at the Portugal Rally. However, the lack of development and testing with the SEAT Ibi Kit Car led to a series of retirements in Argentina and New Zealand, putting the entire project in doubt. It was saved by Ferran Font’s performances in a Seat Ibiza GTI in the N class. SEAT recovered the lead of the series in Australia, despite a lack of substantial improvement. In the Catalonia-Costa Brava Rally they suffered misfortune and at the final RAC Rally event a debacle between the favourites put things in SEAT’s favour: Thanks to a fourth and fifth place from Harri Rovanpera and Erwin Weber, respectively, the team took an unprecedented title.
