Honda Racing drivers return to WTCR action in Hungary
HungaroringHome favourite Attila Tassi will headline the quartet of Honda Racing drivers hungry to get back on track when the WTCR - FIA World Touring Car Cup heads to Hungary this weekend.
Following the decision to call off the two races during the Race of Germany weekend at the Nürburgring Nordschleife on safety grounds, the Hungaroring event marks the second round proper of the 2022 season.
It is also the first in a run of five WTCR rounds in the space of nine weekends as part of a packed European leg of the season.
The 4.381-kilometre Hungaroring is a circuit at which the Civic Type R TCR has traditionally been strong, though expectations are being tempered by the fact that the car is set to carry the maximum 40kg compensation weight.
That is based on its performance in the Pau season opener, despite points being awarded for qualifying - the session that influences the compensation weight - at the Nürburgring, where the best Type R TCR was eighth fastest.
LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler driver Attila is looking for a clean weekend to get his season on track.
The Hungarian, who showed impressive speed both in Pau and at the Nürburgring, made his WTCR debut at his home venue in 2018 and a year earlier won twice at the track in a Civic Type R TCR in the TCR International Series.
Team-mate Tiago Monteiro was also a winner at the Hungaroring in 2017, driving a JAS Motorsport-built Civic WTCC to first place in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Like Attila, Tiago is in search of a consistent weekend as he looks to move up the points table.
In the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport stable, Nestor Girolami heads to Hungary as the Championship leader, thanks to his pole position and victory in Pau last month.
‘Bebu’ enjoyed one of his finest outings as a Honda Racing driver at the Hungaroring in 2019, as he took a double victory on only his second weekend in the WTCR.
His team-mate Esteban Guerrieri also boasts his own brace at the track from 2020, a year when the four Honda Racing drivers locked out the top four in qualifying.
Esteban will start the weekend third in the standings, seven points shy of Nestor and just one behind second place.
Racing in front of your home crowd doesn't necessarily bring more pressure, but it definitely provides extra motivation as you want to perform at your best level, so it will be great to see a lot of spectators this weekend. I haven't won in the WTCR at the Hungaroring yet, but I did in TCR International, also in a Honda Civic Type R TCR, and the reaction was amazing. It was a special feeling to win my first WTCR race last year, so I cannot imagine what it would be like at home. It won't be easy but I believe it is something we can target.
After a tricky weekend in Pau and the difficult decisions that had to be taken at the Nürburgring, it would be great to kick-start our season with a good performance at the Hungaroring this weekend. That said, we know it’s not going to be especially easy considering the compensation weight the car has compared to the rest. This weekend is part of a bit of a crazy run of race weekends coming up in quick succession, so it’s important to start that as well as possible in order to carry the momentum through in the coming weeks. Our motivation is higher than ever and we want to continue our learning process with LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler and the car.
It's good to still be leading the Championship, but it is early on in the season and there is still a long way ahead. I’m happy with how we are operating right now in the team. Considering the weight we had at the Nürburgring we can be pleased with the performance there, despite not being able to show it fully, and the balance of the package felt good. We also had a productive test day at the Slovakiaring last week in preparation for this weekend, so I see plenty of reasons why we can be quietly confident heading to the Hungaroring, even if we are heavy once again.
As racing drivers, we want to be out on track as much as possible so in many ways it’s good that we have this race in Hungary so soon after the unfortunate early finish two weeks ago, and so that we don’t dwell on that too much. We will have to see what effect the compensation weight has here - that’s a little bit of a puzzle at the moment - as it’s not always the same from track to track, but we will be aiming to repeat some of the great results we have achieved here in the past, especially from two years ago.
