Front-wheel drive cars offered weight break.

SEAT, Alfa Romeo and Chevrolet will gain a weight break for the next round of the World Touring Car Championship at Zandvoort after the FIA stepped in to counter criticism levelled at them following BMW's domination of the first round.

The FIA came under criticism from SEAT in particular after reigning champions BMW were given a controversial 15kg weight reduction to negate the advantage they had gained from having two standing starts.

SEAT believed this was instrumental in the team running away with the first round at Curitiba when they scored two 1-2-3 finishes in Brazil.

As such, the FIA Touring Car Bureau has acted to help equalise the weight breaks for front and rear-wheel drive cars, retaining the 15kg reduction for BMW but offering SEAT, Chevrolet and Alfa Romeo a further 25kg off for the next round in Holland.

Although it stresses that the changes are for one-round only, the round is likely to be watched carefully to see if the German marque can be wrestled from the top spot.