Honda will introduce a revised aerodynamic package for the next round of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in Hungary, with the team optimistic of delivering a performance boost as a result.
The team unveiled their new aerodynamic package during Tuesday’s official test session at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with the upgrades focussing on the front bumper area of the car, incorporating the new style of the 2015 road car.
The team undertook extensive testing of the upgrades during testing in Portimáo recently, with gains of reportedly up to four tenths of a second.
The new evolution of the TC1 Civic also features a reduction in understeer in high-speed corners, and improvements to the brake cooling for events in hotter climates.
As an additional bonus, the Civics will lose 60 kg in compensation weight compared to their main rivals Citroën in the forthcoming Hungarian races.
As a result of the upgrades, Gabriele Tarquini admits he has renewed confidence for the next round in Budapest this weekend.
“I’m quite optimistic for good results in Budapest,” said Tarquini. “We now lose 60 kgs of ballast which should make an impact on our race pace, plus the characteristics of the Civic will come to favour here so I am expecting us to be more competitive.
“Overtaking here [in Budapest] isn’t easy, so qualifying well will be key. And we also have to consider tyre wear and manage it well.”
Monteiro believes that the car will be able to mix with the Citroëns at the front of the pack, with the chassis likely to be well suited to the twisty Hungaroring.
“I’m really motivated for this weekend,” said the Portuguese racer. “The Hungaroring is a very technical track, which suits our car well. We’ve a great chassis and the car is very strong under braking and turn-in, which is a necessity for a track like this. Plus we have the new aero kit coming in, which should really improve handling through the medium and high speed corners. I’m really hoping to be in the fight for the front.”
Photos: Visual and aerodynamic upgrades to Honda Civic WTCC
