The Honda Civic WTCC heads to the Slovakia Ring for the second round of the 2016 FIA World Touring Car Championship aiming to maintain Honda’s position at the head of manufacturers’ standings. After a superb start to the season in France, which included an opening-race victory for new team arrival Rob Huff and podium finishes for both Tiago Monteiro and Norbert Michelisz, Honda holds a one-point lead at the top of the Manufacturers’ Championship
Monteiro, Huff and Michelisz, meanwhile, sit second, third and fourth in the drivers’ standings; all three within eight points of the series lead. The Slovakia Ring holds great memories for the Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team. It was at the 5.9-kilometre circuit where Gabriele Tarquini took the first victory for the Civic WTCC in 2013 ahead of Monteiro and Michelisz in what was a podium lock-out for the car. While Civic WTCCs have finished on the rostrum five times in seven races at the track, which is located 40km from the Slovakian capital city, Bratislava, all three Honda drivers have also had numerous successes there. British racer Huff took a victory on the WTCC’s maiden visit to Slovakia in 2012 – his championship-winning season – while Hungarian driver Michelisz and Monteiro – from Portugal – have also had podium finishes there over the past four seasons. This weekend’s event is likely to be the last in 2016 at which the Hondas run without compensation weight. Currently the Civics run 80kg lighter than their main rival, but this is set to change for the following round in Hungary once the speed-based formula, which determines how much weight each car carries, is applied across the whole championship. This weight advantage, coupled with a circuit layout dominated by long, medium and high-speed corners, should play to the main strengths of the Civic WTCC; notably excellent handling and superb tyre-management.
Rob Huff, Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team, said: “It’s always good to come back to Slovakia. The track is relatively new, but it has the feel of an old-school circuit like Brno or Zandvoort with its gradient changes and mix of fast and medium-speed corners, and putting in a good lap time is very satisfying. It’s also the longest lap of the season – at 6km – other than the Nordschleife. I won here in 2012 and arrive with a lot of confidence of adding to that this weekend, especially after the super pace we were able to show in both races in France. We’re also very aware that this is probably the last event where our car will be 80kg lighter than that of our main rival. On a track like this, where tyre wear is high, that should benefit us even more than it did in France. We’re in good shape.” Tiago Monteiro, Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team, said: “Paul Ricard produced a fantastic result for us. The practice and qualifying pace was great in the damp conditions and also when it dried out, and we secured fourth and second-placed finishes. That was on a circuit that hasn’t usually been so good for the Honda either. The Slovakia Ring is a totally different kind of circuit with very few slow corners, so handling is key and this is an area in which the Civic is really fantastic. There are also a couple of long straights, which should provide good opportunities to overtake. I finished second in Slovakia in 2013 and I’d be surprised if, as a team, we can’t at least repeat that this weekend.” Norbert Michelisz, Honda Racing Team JAS, said: “I love racing at the Slovakia Ring. As a circuit it has every kind of corner; a real drivers’ track, and the Civic’s handling has always helped the car go well there. Based on what we saw in France, the upgrades made to the car over the winter with the engine and chassis have made a big difference, and I expect us to be in contention for podiums and victories again. I also love coming here because it’s very close to Hungary, so there are lots of Hungarian fans that come over the border to support me and the team. It almost feels like a second home race. Two podiums on my first weekend as a factory driver in France was a dream come true, but once you get results like that, you always push for more, so I’m definitely aiming to better that this weekend and add to the two podiums I’ve had in Slovakia previously.”
