Tiago Monteiro confident ahead of Motegi

After two months of summer break, the FIA World Touring Car Championship, WTCC, is back on track, namely the Motegi circuit in Japan. Tiago Monteiro, like most of his opponents, knows little about the track and is preparing for a great leap into the unknown. Located 150 km north of Tokyo, Motegi has one unique attribute for Tiago and Honda as they will be racing on the car manufacturer’s home ground and will be able to count on the local crowd’s support.

Tiago Monteiro is already in Japan where he is participating in a multitude of marketing and public relations initiatives before taking to the track on Friday for the first practice session. "I enjoy discovering new circuits at the wheel of my Honda Civic so it’s a pleasure to be racing at Motegi. If we add to this discovery that the team can count on a wide range of fans, I’m sure it will be a memorable weekend," said the Portuguese driver.

In sporting terms, Tiago Monteiro is more motivated than ever. The last event before the summer break did not bring him the desired results and he is therefore determined to return to the podium and reclaim his 4th place in the world championship. "Although we do not know exactly how the Honda Civic will behave at this circuit, the tests we conducted last winter have given us confidence. I am very eager to return to competition after such a long break, and I am hoping to be back on the podium and reclaiming my fourth place in the championship. We must not let any points slip through our fingers. We will have to use all our strengths and seize every opportunity that comes our way," concluded Tiago.