The JAS Motorsport built Honda Civic’s took a victory and another podium finish at the manufacturers’ home round of the 2013 World Touring Car Championship at Suzuka, Japan.
“This is a great weekend for Honda,” says Alessandro Mariani, JAS Motorsport Managing Director. “It is a new demonstration of the level achieved by the Civic in just one year, the package is now very competitive and the cars proved to be very strong at Suzuka.
“Despite the race incidents we saw Tiago and Gabriele fighting right at the front of the field and of course to see Norbi’s victory was just great. He and Zengo Motorsport have done a great job,” added Mariani.
Norbert Michelisz secured his first win of the 2013 World Touring Car Championship at Suzuka, the first win for the Zengö Motorsport team since their switch to the Honda Civic.
Having been fastest in qualifying and morning warm up, ‘Norbi’ took control of the race right from the start as he secured his third win of his WTCC career and the third for the Honda Civic, having set a new lap record en route to a 4.8s win over bamboo engineering’s Alex MacDowall.
Despite finishing the second race of the Japanese weekend in the pits after contact off the line, Michelisz has moved up to sixth overall in the drivers’ Championship.
“It was a dream race for me,” explained the 27 year old Hungarian. “I had new front tyres saved from yesterday and that allowed me to get maximum grip. From the start I was able to get into the first corner ahead and I knew it was just down to me.
“I was able to drive without pushing or taking risks and to drive smoothly. I would really like to thank everyone for the help for my win, thanks to Honda, to JAS and my Zengo Motorsport team.”
Having made his debut for the Castrol Honda team at Suzuka last year, Tiago Monteiro secured a podium finish in the second race of the day – race 200 in the history of the series.
Monteiro’s podium finish made up for his retirement in the opening race of the day – he collected the tyres at turn 8 as he tried to pass Pepe Oriola. He had got up the inside of the Spanish youngster but saw the door closed on him.
“I really thought I had a good chance in Race 1 and had waited for the passing chance,” said Monteiro. “I was in the correct position but the gap was closed on me and I hit the tyres. I chased hard in Race 2 and third on the podium is a good result.”
Team-mate Gabriele Tarquini followed Monteiro home in race 2 having got a puncture during the first race which dropped him down the order as he failed to score any Championship points.
Fourth place in race 2 meant that the Italian was able to retain second in the drivers’ Championship with four races left.
“I made a good start in Race 1 with lots of fights for positions and then it settled down and I was confident of 5th but then the puncture put me in the pits. For Race 2 I decided to take a lower pace as we were not certain what had caused the puncture. I let Tiago into third and finished 4th,” said the 2009 Champion.
Making his debut in the third Castrol Honda WTC Honda Civic was Super GT regular Takuya Izawa. The 29 year old finished 12th in the opening race, a result which gave him the first ever WTCC Asia Trophy victory.
“I would like to thank Honda and its engineers for enabling me to join the World Championship for the first time,” Izawa added. “Although I believed that I had a good chance it didn’t happen today so I am a little disappointed. But this wonderful chance gave me further confidence for my career.
“It was very useful to be working with an international team. WTCC is bruising like a fighting sport but I could understand and enjoy the battle,” he concluded.