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Tiago Monteiro to return after injury with 2018 Honda WTCR deal

Tiago Monteiro will race for the first time since a crash last September after securing a deal to drive a Honda Civic in the 2018 World Touring Car Cup.

He and Esteban Guerrieri - one of his 2017 World Touring Car Championship injury stand-ins - have both been announced as Honda team drivers for the WTCR series.

Ex-Formula 1 driver Monteiro raced for the Honda WTCC squad from its initial entry in the championship at the end of the 2012 season, and led the standings last year before a testing crash at Barcelona ended his season.

He returned to the WTCC paddock for the 2017 finale in Qatar and has since returned to driving his road car.

He will race for the Boutsen Ginion team, which has already announced it will run two new Honda Civic FK8 Type R TCRs in WTCR.

Monteiro drove for the Belgian outfit in the TCR Benelux Series in 2016, winning a race in the previous generation Civic, and also won the Macau Guia Race that year in a West Coast Racing Civic.

"I'm delighted to remain part of the Honda Racing family for another year," said Monteiro.

"Since I first worked with Honda in 2012, I feel we've been getting stronger and stronger by the season and by last year we were in a very good place to win the championship before my accident.

"The past six months have been incredibly tough, but thanks to some amazing support I'm now well on my way to getting back in a racing car.

"Boutsen Ginion Racing are a strong team, who I've won races with in TCR before, so I can't wait to drive the car and for the season to start."

Guerrieri starred in the 2017 WTCC, winning two races in a Campos Racing Chevrolet Cruze before taking Monteiro's works Honda place for the final three rounds.

The former Formula Renault 3.5 and Indy Lights frontrunner also raced in the Argentinian Super TC2000 series last season but has stepped away from that programme.

He has joined Munnich Motorsport as it switches from its WTCC Citroens to TCR Hondas.

"I felt like last year was a real breakthrough year for me in world touring cars, so I'm extremely pleased to be racing a Honda Civic in 2018," said Guerrieri.

"TCR is the fastest-growing touring car category in the world and I'm incredibly excited to be a part of this programme.

"I had some great races against the Munnich Motorsport car in the WTCC last year and it's clear they can run a very fast machine, so I'm optimistic of putting together a title challenge."

Both outfits will receive technical support through Honda's partner JAS Motorsport, which designed and manufactured its WTCC and TCR challengers.

Zdroj: autosport.com