Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro will once again drive for Honda in the 2014 World Touring Car Championship after their contracts were renewed by the Japanese manufacturer.
The team has secured the 2013 Manufacturers title in their first season with two events left in the season and has taken two outright victories to date.
With Tarquini securing two victories to date at the wheel of the #3 Castrol Honda Honda Civic to sit second in the drivers’ Championship behind newly crowned Champion Yvan Muller. The announcement continues the relationship he has had with Honda since his time in the British Touring Car Championship.
“I am proud of the long relationship I have had with Honda, from the British Touring Car Championship times until today,” the 2009 WTCC Champion said. “We have such a good team spirit and everybody is working for one thing and that is to win the races. We have developed this car into a winner and soon we will start with the 2014 car so to see Honda renew its confidence in me is a great reward.”
Monteiro made his debut for the team at Suzuka in 2012 and took the teams’ first podium finish on the streets of Macau the same year. He has taken 3 podium finishes this season, including being part of a Honda 1-2-3 in the opening race at Slovakiaring.
With trips to Shanghai and Macau left, the Portuguese driver finds himself 10th overall in the drivers’ Championship and looking to end a run of 72 WTCC races without a victory.
“It is a great honour for me to have been involved in this project since the beginning and actively participate in the development of the Honda Civic WTCC which has become a highly competitive and winning car,” Monteiro said.
“Working with the whole Honda Team is a privilege at all levels. For 2014 I want to continue the good work we have been developing with the team and Gabriele and achieve many more podiums. I’m already looking forward to the start of the new season.”
Hideo Sato, the General Manager of Honda’s Motorsports Division praised the performances of Tarquini and Monteiro in 2013 and is looking forward to an exciting 2014 campaign with the new Honda Civic.
“Always with a new car and a new programme there is many areas to work on and always we are against the clock,” Sato said.
“Thanks to the driving skill, experience and technical knowledge of Gabiele and Tiago and their hard work with the team, we have made great progress very quickly this year. They have both been fighting to get the Honda Civic WTCC into the results and to have won two races outright and many podium positions is a great result.
“For 2014, I expect the regulation changes will create an exciting and dynamic racing season. I am confident that our two experienced drivers, who have intimate knowledge of the Civic, will be key to our success. I am very pleased to have them in the Honda Racing family for 2014 which will be another competitive season for sure,” he concluded.