Monteiro shrugs off weight rise

Carrying the maximum 80 kilograms of success ballast at FIA WTCC JVCKENWOOD this weekend won’t hold back Honda star Tiago Monteiro.

The Portuguese, who still has a shot at the WTCC Drivers’ title, won for Honda at Twin Ring Motegi last season. And the ex-Formula One racer sees no reason why he can’t challenge for top spot again, despite the added compensation weight, which is designed to equalise on-track performance.

“Having 80 kilograms of compensation weight gives all the Honda drivers an additional challenge, but we were only 20 kilograms lighter than that in Argentina and had very good speed in racing conditions, so I think we have some reasons to be optimistic about our chances of strong results,” said Monteiro.

Monteiro triumphed in a reverse-grid thriller in Japan last season, much to the delight of the local fans and the Honda hierarchy. “I’m in the privileged position of having won for Honda in Japan, so I’ve seen first-hand what a victory can do for a manufacturer when it comes on home soil and the kind of reaction you get from the supporters in the grandstands,” he added.