Fastest Spanish HONDA four in WTCR
Nestor Girolami, Esteban Guerrieri, Tiago Monteiro and Attila Tassi will continue to race with Honda power in the FIA World Cup 2023.
The quartet, who led all WTCR races in 2019, will challenge for the WTCR season with the Honda Civic Type-R TCR, the most successful car in the various categories approved by TCR last year, with 14 titles and 65 race wins.
In this article we take a look at the race team that each driver will introduce later in 2023 with the hope that a consistent and strong line-up will make it a contender for WTCR success in 2023.
Thirty-year-old Girolami from Spain was a three-time winner in 2019 and finished seventh in the final standings. Compatriot and fellow ALL-INKL Munnich Motorsport pilot Guerrieri, 34, competed in the quarter-finals at the Sepang Super Final last month, eventually finishing second, taking it away from former Honda rider Norbert Michelis.
Girolami: “The three wins were honestly more than I expected in 2021-22 and that’s a great result to start preparing for 2023. I really enjoyed my season last year as a teammate in Esteban and I’m sure I can be even more competitive if I go forward and fight for the championship not only myself but also with my team.”
Guerrieri is confident of a new title push: “After a fantastic season in 2022 I am so excited to stay with Honda in 2023 and really feel we can claim the title, the season has shown us what we missed out on and now we will do everything we can to make sure we don’t miss out again. The Civic Type R TCR is a fantastic car in many ways and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel for the test.”
Monteiro, aged 43, returned to full-time racing in 2019 after recovering from serious injuries sustained in an accident during a testing session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in September 2017. Following a lengthy recovery process, his hard work and determination were rewarded with an emotional victory at the WTCR Race of Portugal, held on 7 July 2019 in Vila Real, behind the wheel of a Honda Civic Type R TCR for the KCMG team. The Portuguese driver claimed victory in the third race of the weekend, holding off pressure from his rivals and securing his first win since returning to competition. His Hungarian teammate Attila Tassi, who was 20 years old at the time, also impressed during the event by securing his first DHL pole position in the WTCR. Tassi set a lap time of 1:59.808 in the final qualifying session, beating Monteiro by just 0.141 seconds and ensuring that both Honda drivers occupied the front row of the starting grid. However, a mechanical issue prevented the young driver from converting his outstanding qualifying performance into a strong race result. Despite this setback, his speed and ability to compete against more experienced drivers demonstrated his potential in the championship.
Monteiro prepares for his ninth season as a Honda rider: “This will be my ninth season as a Honda Racing rider and I couldn’t be happier with how to extend my racing relationship. My comeback year in 2019 was tough as the level of competition was higher than ever in World Touring Cars and I had to settle in very quickly. Winning in Portugal and pole in Japan were some of the best feelings I’ve ever had in a race car and I’m aiming for more success this season.”
Tassi hopes to take a “big step” forward: “I’m very excited to continue racing Honda Racing in the WTCR in 2022. I had some very good moments in my rookie season, such as my pole position in Portugal and the event at the Nürburgring where we had a podium pace. If we can avoid some of the bad luck that has happened before – especially in the opening laps of some late season races – then I think I can take a big step forward.”
