Tiago Monteiro makes his début in the TCR International Series in Macau this weekend seeking to score his first win on the street circuit, having been cruelly denied when he was leading in the WTCC in 2014.
The Portuguese ace has not raced on the Circuito da Guia since 2014, when the World Touring Car Championship last visited the country.
On that occasion, Honda driver Monteiro was leading for almost the entire race when he cruelly suffered a mechanical problem with one lap to go, denying him the win.
Taking part this weekend at the wheel of a WestCoast Racing TCR Honda, Monteiro is seeking to exact revenge for that missed win and take his first victory in Macau.
The factory Honda driver has already tasted TCR success this year, having raced in TCR BeNeLux on selected occasions.
“Running in Macau is always a great privilege, but this time it’s an even bigger adventure because I want to exact my revenge on the race win that eluded me in WTCC,” said Monteiro. “It’s a natural motivation, especially since I’ve had quite a lot of success since I was in TCR.
“I think we can do great things in Macau. The car is very efficient, pleasant to drive and competitive, but Macao is a difficult track on which anything can happen.
“The level of competitiveness is very high in TCR International, the drivers are experienced and they have the advantage of having participated in the entire championship.”
Monteiro already demonstrated his potential pace around Macau by posting the fastest time in Thursday’s first practice session.
“I will do my best and if I can fight at the front it will be very good and it is my intention, but if not, I will try to take some pleasure from it and put on a good show and enjoy the experience.
“The TCR championship will be played out in Macau and I do not want to risk disrupting the race for the title contenders.”