Tiago Monteiro reached the ambitious goals he set for himself in Slovakia, scene of the 3rd and 4th races of the 2016 FIA World Touring Car Championship, WTCC. The Honda Civic # 18 driver secured the victory he was hoping for in the first race of the weekend. In the second, he came close to taking the double, crossing the finish line in second place, just 0.7 seconds behind the winner.
After setting the seventh fastest time in qualifying, Tiago didn’t think he could deliver such a superb race result, but the combination of a highly efficient Honda Civic and smart and safe driving allowed the Portuguese racer to make the most of his car and of the opportunities that came his way. Tiago earned his 33rd podium and his 8th victory in the FIA WTCC which allowed him to take the championship lead. “It was two incredible races contested at a torrid pace and they gave me two excellent results. It could not have gone better, everything worked perfectly,” Tiago says.
4th and 7th on the grid respectively for the two Slovakian races, Tiago had to win many positions on track thanks to some brilliant overtaking maneuvers. “It was important for me to score points in Slovakia, but this result exceeds my expectations. I have no words to describe the pride I am feeling to be the first Portuguese and the first Honda driver to hold the lead of the FIA WTCC which is a major championship,” Tiago explained. “I hope to keep the same dynamic in Hungary next week.”
All the results from the Slovak round can be found at https://www.fiawtcc.com/event/race-of-slovakia/
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