Tiago Monteiro and Honda complete their most productive test at Paul Ricard

Tiago Monteiro, Gabriele Tarquini and Honda have just completed a three day testing session on the French circuit of Paul Ricard in preparation for the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship, WTCC, which will kick off in April. Also present at this test was the new Citroën factory team and its three very experienced drivers, Yvan Muller, Sébastien Loeb and Pechito Lopez.

Regulations have changed significantly for the 2014 season and winter testing is essential to fine tune the cars and to allow drivers and teams to get used to the new technical changes. Even though it may not be until the first race that comparisons can be made between the performances of each team, testing at Paul Ricard was a chance to get an idea of the progress already made by the two rivals, Honda and Citroen.

Tiago Monteiro believes this test in the south of France has been the most productive of the offseason. “We made a big step forward in all areas,” explained the Portuguese driver. “We took advantage of the dry conditions and a wet track to spend as much time on the circuit as we possibly could. It is an evolution. We also worked on the  new tires, in accordance with the commitments from tire manufacturer Yokohama. We examined a variety of situations that allow us to be better prepared with each passing day. We now leave Paul Ricard feeling satisfied with our work, however there is still a lot to do. “

Once again Tiago Monteiro’s activities were not limited to the track. The Portuguese driver underwent an FIA WTCC promotional campaign on behalf of the championships promoter, Eurosport, accompanied by journalists from around the world who have now had the opportunity to see the work from both the Honda and Citroen teams close up.