Plato: Car is sensational but we are struggling.

Jason Plato has reiterated his frustration at the difference in British Touring Car and World Touring Car specifications that he claims are preventing him from making a genuine challenge to Matt Neal in the championship.

With Plato competing in the WTCC-specification SEAT Leon, compared to Neal's BTCC-specification Honda Integra, the former champion insists that the performance differential is not yet sufficiently equal, leaving them exposed down straights especially.

This was evident most recently at Croft when Neal won the drag to the finish line in the final race of the day, even if he was later judged to have cut across the track to gain an advantage.

Nonetheless, while Plato claimed three podiums, including one win, to close the gap on his arch-rival, he remains frustrated that the differences he complained of in 2005 have not yet been addressed, particularly as their SEAT counterparts in the WTCC have received a break due to their poor aerodynamic shape.

"We are struggling," Jason Plato told Crash.net Radio. "Unless your Stevie Wonder you will see the speed differential down the straight. We have to speed because we are running to WTCC engine regulations and the BTC-spec cars have tons more power than we do.

"Once the tyres are good then we have half a chance to maintain a gap to compete, but once the tyres get worn, it becomes a horsepower race because we have a lack of it. The car is sensational and it has a great chassis but there is no substitute for horsepower and we are a lot down."