Jorge Lorenzo, SEAT employee for a day

• MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo visits the SEAT factory in Martorell and participates in the manufacturing process of his new car
• The three-time MotoGP world champion is a SEAT brand ambassador and will drive the company’s most powerful model, a SEAT Leon CUPRA
• Lorenzo receives his SEAT from the company’s factory workers

Martorell, 04/05/2017. – Jorge Lorenzo put aside his racing leathers in exchange for a factory worker uniform at SEAT Martorell (Barcelona). Coinciding with his 30^th birthday, the three-time world champion spent the day participating in the manufacturing process of his new car, the SEAT Leon CUPRA.

The MotoGP rider, dressed like a Martorell factory employee, began his itinerary accompanied by factory director Steffen Reiche at the Sheet Metal Workshop, where more than 2,000 robots assemble the structure of the car. “I was impressed by all the technology there is in the plant; I felt like I was in the Transformers factory. I’ve seen a lot of factories in my lifetime and the truth is this is the best one I’ve seen by far”, he stated.

Lorenzo then proceeded to the Assembly Workshop of the SEAT Leon, where he was directly involved in the construction of his own car under the watchful eyes of the other factory employees, who were surprised to see him as they had no idea Lorenzo was coming to visit the facilities. “It’s hard to believe that a car rolls off the assembly line every 40 seconds. This requires a special degree of planning and precision similar to what we rely on in top-level competition”, said the three-time MotoGp world champion during his visit to Spain’s most productive car plant.

Once his car was complete, the assembly workers handed over the Leon CUPRA to Lorenzo, who will be driving it from now on. The car features a vinyl sticker with his trademark 99 logo on the driver’s door.

During his visit, Lorenzo was greeted by SEAT President Luca de Meo, and the two discussed the future of the automotive sector. Lorenzo showed special interest in the electric car and the autonomous vehicle. They were also joined by SEAT Sport director Jaime Puig and SEAT Sport director of Strategy, Business Development and Operations Antonino Labate, who said “we are proud to have Jorge Lorenzo as a brand ambassador. At SEAT we share his competitive spirit and the urge to excel he demonstrates on the track. It is with great pleasure that we welcome him here at SEAT, in our home”.

The Ducati team rider is one of the most acclaimed Spanish sports personalities and a reference in motorcycle racing. Thanks to his character and skill on the track, he is a three-time MotoGP world champion, two-time champion in the 250cc category and now an ambassador of the Spanish brand SEAT. “As a racer, I push hard on the track for every one hundredth of a second. At SEAT I saw the same passion for detail and quality, and that makes me proud to be a brand ambassador. Cars are one of my great passions, and the Leon CUPRA delivers exceptional performance”, said Jorge Lorenzo.

The three-time world champion will be driving the SEAT Leon CUPRA. Featuring 300 hp output and an acceleration time of 4.9 seconds to go from standstill to 100 km/h, this model has become the most powerful in the SEAT range and combines attractive design with innovative technology.

This collaboration takes place within the framework of SEAT’s sponsorship of the Ducati team in MotoGP. As part of the agreement, the SEAT Leon CUPRA features as the Italian team’s official car. In addition, it also includes placing the SEAT logo on the front of the motorcycle as well as on the racing leathers of the riders and the uniforms of the team members.

SEAT is the only company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting 81% of its vehicles, and is present in over 80 countries through a network of 1,700 dealerships. In 2016, SEAT obtained an operating profit of 143 million euros, the highest in the history of the brand, and achieved worldwide sales of nearly 410,000 vehicles.

SEAT Group employs more than 14,500 professionals at its three production centres – Barcelona, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza and Leon. Additionally, the company produces the Ateca and the Toledo in the Czech Republic, the Alhambra in Portugal and the Mii in Slovakia. 

The multinational has a Technical Centre, which operates as a knowledge hub that brings together 1,000 engineers who are focussed on developing innovation for Spain’s largest industrial investor in R&D. SEAT already features the latest connectivity technology in its vehicle range and is currently engaged in the company’s global digitalisation process to promote the mobility of the future.