Engstler Motorsport will switch to running Honda Civic Type-R machinery in the 2022 FIA World Touring Car Cup, having previously partnered with Hyundai for the past two seasons.
Engstler Motorsport first joined WTCR for the 2020 season, running a pair of Hyundai i30 N TCR cars for Luca Engstler and Nicky Catsburg.
The German team continued the relationship into 2021 with the new Hyundai Elantra N TCR, with Engstler partnered with Jean-Karl Vernay.
Now for 2022 the team will switch to Honda machinery, taking over two of the entries run by fellow German outfit Münnich Motorsport for Tiago Monteiro and Attila Tassi.
The team which Esteban Guerrieri and Néstor Girolami, who are already confirmed for 2022, will race for will be confirmed at a later date.
For Monteiro and Tassi, it represents the fourth consecutive season that the Portuguese and Hungarian racers will be partnered as team-mates.
Both drivers were victorious early in the 2021 season – Monteiro at the Nürburgring and Tassi at Estoril – although they eventually ended the year 17th and 14th in the drivers’ standings respectively, with Monteiro having had to miss the season finale in Sochi due to picking up a bacterial chest infection.
Liqui Moly Team Engstler will be supported by JAS Motorsport for technical assistance.
“It is a really proud moment for LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler to get the chance to work with Honda in the WTCR, and a fantastic development speaking personally,” said Team Principal Franz Engstler.
“It feels like there is a good future for this partnership and it is a great opportunity for the team to grow in the WTCR.
“Our driver line-up is also very strong; to have a driver of Tiago’s experience brings obvious benefits, and it is also part of our philosophy to work with young drivers where we can, so Attila is a great addition.
“We are really motivated for the start of this new project with the Honda Civic Type R TCR and will be investing our maximum power to get the best results.”
Monteiro has spent December recovering from his chest infection and is now beginning to prepare for an 11th season with Honda in top-level touring cars.
“It’s great to welcome LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler to the Honda family, I’m looking forward to this new challenge,” said Monteiro.
“I’m really happy that I will be able to help their transition; with my experience I’m eager to help them integrate with Honda quickly.
“I’d also like to thank ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport for the highs we shared over the past two years.
“It’s a very proud feeling to continue with Honda into an 11th season, it’s a fantastic relationship that we have created and I feel very fortunate to be in this position.
“I had the whole of December off to recover after my chest infection, and now I’m starting to push my body’s limits again, so I feel really motivated to work with Attila to help get the team’s engineers up to speed with the Civic Type R TCR and have a very productive winter testing period, which will be very crucial.”
Tassi, 22, is hoping to build on the momentum he gained in 2021, when he secured his first-ever win in WTCR.
“I am very proud to be driving for LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler in their first season running the Honda Civic Type R TCR in the WTCR,” said Tassi.
“It’s nice to have a new challenge and I am really looking forward to working with the team.
“It’s also a privilege to be a Honda Racing driver for a fourth year, and to have the trust of both the brand and the team for the coming campaign.
“Tiago and I have built a very special relationship over the past three years, so I’m really happy that we are continuing together and hope we can get the best out of each other.
“I am looking forward to building on my first win in 2021 and scoring more strong results.”