WTCC 2017 – Honda aim to maintain strong form in Germany
Honda head to the legendary Nurburgring in Germany this weekend aiming to maintain their strong early-season form in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
The Race of Germany takes place on the daunting 25.9-kilometre Nordschleife; acknowledged as the most challenging circuit in Europe, and is certain to provide a monumental fight for victory and no margin for error.
Two wins and four podiums from the opening three rounds have allowed Portuguese racer Tiago Monteiro to open up a 38-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
He is aiming to add to the podium finish he achieved at the Nurburgring in 2015 in a bid to preserve his advantage.
His Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team-mate Norbert Michelisz plans to bounce back from two frustrating weekends in which he has been denied potential race wins have been due to early-race incidents that were no fault of his own.
The Hungarian, who is eighth in the points, scored a double podium last year and is looking for a repeat as he climbs back up the championship table in Saturday’s races.
Fellow factory driver Ryo Michigami will make his first race appearance on the Nordschleife this weekend. The experienced Japanese racer visited the circuit last week to gain experience of the 170-corner layout in a road-going Honda Civic Type R.
The team will use the weekend to pay tribute to Honda World Superbike rider and former MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden, who tragically died this week.
Tiago Monteiro 18
“I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season. The improvements made to the Honda during the winter have paid off at every circuit we’ve visited and we have a faster car that performs better with compensation weight than ever before. The Nurburgring has a series of unique challenges with lots of high-speed corners blending into one another, big kerbs and a very long straight to end the lap, so you need to have a car that’s strong in all areas if you’re going to do well.”
– Castrol Honda WTCC
Norbert Michelisz 5
“I’ve had some bad luck in the past two rounds, but I know that this weekend is a big opportunity to get back into the battle for the Championship. The Nurburgring is an enormous challenge, but one the Honda should be suited to because of its excellent handling and improved straightline speed. Last year I finished on the podium twice, so it’s definitely possible to make up some positions from your starting place if your car is well set-up for race conditions.”
– Castrol Honda WTCC
Ryo Michigami 34
“The Nurburgring is an incredible circuit – one of the most iconic in the world – and not like anything I’ve raced on before. Hundreds of thousands of fans visit this event every year so I’m expecting an incredible atmosphere and some great racing. I spent a couple of days there last week doing track days in a Honda Civic Type R road car, but with so many corners, it’s a big challenge to memorise the layout. The double finish in Hungary was a step in the right direction for me and the aim is to improve our pace in qualifying and the races.”
– Honda Racing Team JAS
