Why change a winning formula? Honda Racing reveals 2021 WTCR line-up
Honda Racing is thrilled to announce a formidable and unchanged line-up for the forthcoming WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup season.
Esteban Guerrieri, Nestor Girolami, Tiago Monteiro and Attila Tassi will race a quartet of Honda Civic Type R TCRs, just as they have done for the previous two years.
The customer racing teams that each driver will compete with in 2021 will be announced at a later date.
Esteban cemented his status as one of the world’s best touring car drivers last year, as he claimed four wins from 16 races and became the first driver in the history of the WTCR to reach 10 victories, while also securing a fourth-straight top-four finish in the World Touring Car Drivers’ standings.
His compatriot Nestor won the opening race of the WTCR campaign at Zolder in 2020 – his fourth victory in the category – set a new pole position record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and added three further podiums as he and Esteban helped ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport secure runner-up spot in the Teams’ championship – their best result to date.
Tiago claimed his first podium of the 2020 season with ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport as he finished runner-up to Esteban in a landmark 1-2-3 for the Civic Type R TCR at the Hungaroring in October – a result that also ensured Tiago maintained his record of scoring at least one top-three finish in every full season he has been a Honda Racing driver.
The 2021 campaign will be a significant one for the Portuguese, as his association with Honda enters a remarkable 10th year.
In his second full season, Attila built on the knowledge he accrued during his debut campaign and recorded his first podium finishes in the WTCR, finishing third behind Nestor at Zolder, and later claiming another third place at the Nürburgring. The 21-year-old ended the season with 100 points, a marked improvement on his 2019 tally.
The WTCR season will start at the Hungaroring on May 14 and is due to comprise eight double-header rounds. With a return to Asia planned for 2021, the campaign is set to end at the Macau Guia Circuit in November.
“Extending this relationship with Honda is a fantastic feeling, particularly after another strong campaign in 2020 despite all the challenges the year presented. Globally we hope that things will be very different in 2021 compared to last year, but one thing that we hope will stay the same is our competitiveness. We have proved every season so far that we are capable of fighting for the title, so naturally feel that we can push for it again in 2021.”
“Extending this relationship with Honda is a fantastic feeling, particularly after another strong campaign in 2020 despite all the challenges the year presented. Globally we hope that things will be very different in 2021 compared to last year, but one thing that we hope will stay the same is our competitiveness. We have proved every season so far that we are capable of fighting for the title, so naturally feel that we can push for it again in 2021.”
“There were ups and downs for me in the 2020 WTCR season but overall it was a solid year and I’m pleased with the competitive level I was able to show at every round. Winning the first race of the season and setting a new pole position record at the Nürburgring were two big highlights and show I can be the pacesetter, so I start my third year as a Honda Racing driver as sure as ever that I can fight for the championship.”
“There were ups and downs for me in the 2020 WTCR season but overall it was a solid year and I’m pleased with the competitive level I was able to show at every round. Winning the first race of the season and setting a new pole position record at the Nürburgring were two big highlights and show I can be the pacesetter, so I start my third year as a Honda Racing driver as sure as ever that I can fight for the championship.”
“I’m absolutely delighted to be continuing my relationship with Honda into what will be a 10th year. It’s the longest I’ve driven for a brand in my career and this milestone proves what a great relationship we have built over that period. Last year was a very challenging year, but challenges are part of this sport and we rose up to face and overcome them. Those harder moments only served as motivation to add more success this season as part of this incredibly strong Honda Racing line-up.”
“I’m absolutely delighted to be continuing my relationship with Honda into what will be a 10th year. It’s the longest I’ve driven for a brand in my career and this milestone proves what a great relationship we have built over that period. Last year was a very challenging year, but challenges are part of this sport and we rose up to face and overcome them. Those harder moments only served as motivation to add more success this season as part of this incredibly strong Honda Racing line-up.”
“It is a great pleasure to be a Honda Racing driver in the WTCR for a third year in a row; I’m proud of the potential Honda sees in me. I was happy with the progress I made in 2020, scoring my first podiums, and with how I gelled with those around me. For 2021, I hope I can take another big step forward and show the frontrunning pace I was able to display on an even more regular basis.”
“It is a great pleasure to be a Honda Racing driver in the WTCR for a third year in a row; I’m proud of the potential Honda sees in me. I was happy with the progress I made in 2020, scoring my first podiums, and with how I gelled with those around me. For 2021, I hope I can take another big step forward and show the frontrunning pace I was able to display on an even more regular basis.”
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