Autosportfoto

WTCR’s Monteiro is a record-breaker

Tiago Monteiro is the proud holder of a new record after the WTCR - FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO racer set a new benchmark by a standard production car at the Estoril circuit in his native Portugal.

Monteiro took 2m01.84s to lap the 4.2-kilometre venue - once home to the Portuguese Grand Prix - in a Honda Civic Type R, the road-going version of the race-winning Honda Civic Type R TCR.

"We came here with a goal to beat the existing lap record but you can never take anything for granted - I mean it's a lap record so it's no easy feat," said the Boutsen Ginion Racing Honda driver. "You have to have supreme confidence in the car to attack around Estoril, and the new Type R is just so powerful, smooth and confidence-inspiring. We beat the lap record, smashed the record actually.

"The Type R is very stable and has very good braking efficiency and an amazing engine so it just feels like you are driving a race car - on the track it's easy to forget that it's a proper road car, but then you can drive it home.

"The new Type R is a big evolution. I mean we're talking about a totally different car in terms of design, aero, suspension, geometries, engine, but more than anything the feeling of driving the car."

As well as Estoril, the Honda Civic Type R has set production lap records at Hungaroring, Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps in 2018 as part of the Type R Challenge, which aims to set new benchmark times at five famous race circuits.

Zdroj: fiawtcr.com