Monteiro spends two intense days of testing

After making first contact with his new car at the beginning of the month at the Vallelunga circuit, Tiago Monteiro put the Honda Civic 5P Slovakia through its paces over a two day period alongside teammate Gabriele Tarquini.

The two men completed more than 500 kilometres and tested several specific areas in order for the Portuguese driver to be ready for his first race in Honda colors on October 21 at the Suzuka circuit in Japan, on the occasion of one of the most demanding rounds of the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

Tiago Monteiro is very pleased with the work completed with the car, but is also highly motivated and totally focused on this new project. "Everything went very well, we did not encounter any major problems. The car and the engine had a high level of reliability," Tiago said. "Over these two days we have tested hundreds of different settings to understand how the car reacts to changes but also to identify what works well or not so well on the chassis. The engine department also made systematic changes and these two work days were intense and rewarding."

Having run the Slovakia Ring, on a track where the FIA WTCC has taken place this year, allowed Tiago to establish a few comparisons. "The track conditions were similar to those that we had during the race, which allowed me to conclude that we are on the right track. However, comparisons are never very accurate, as there are still some differences and of course there are far fewer cars on the track. These tests were of paramount importance and I think I will need several sessions before running perfectly at ease with the Honda. But we still have three practice sessions, plus the Suzuka race. It seems a lot but there are only 50 days before our debut," he added.

In addition to all the technical aspects, business operations also took place in the presence of many guests and journalists, especially those from Eastern Europe. One of the many guests was young Olympic swimmer, Hungarian Dániel Gyurta, who recently won a gold medal in the 200 meter breaststroke at the Olympic Games in London. The test enables the young swimmer to get a glimpse into the magnificent world of motorsport.

Before his debut in the FIA WTCC with the Honda Civic 5P, Tiago Monteiro will continue his own racing season in the United States on September 21.