The result of the first race weekend of the World Touring Car Championship FIA WTCC exceeded Tiago Monteiro’s expectations with a podium in the second race, which followed a solid 4th place in the first round. These results put him into an excellent third place in the driver’s championship.
Throughout the weekend, Tiago was competitive and at the forefront. He was the fastest Honda driver in qualifying with a nice 5th place on the grid for the first race, which also secured him another point under the new regulations. Due to the rule of the reverse grid, Tiago started sixth on the grid for the race two.
Tiago immediately climbed to fourth place at the start of the first race, which was held in extreme heat on the Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo, and he defended his position while taking care not to overwork his tires. In the second round, Tiago started in 6th position and waited patiently behind several drivers that were involved in a fierce battle. The Portuguese driver took advantage of his patience and passed his teammate Gabriele Tarquini, to grab 3rd place after two of his rivals collided.
"I honestly did not think it would be possible to reach the podium starting 5th and 6th on the grid," admits Tiago. "But the races are unpredictable in the WTCC and I had the opportunity to fight for the podium. I grabbed this opportunity and I’m very happy for me and for the team to bring a podium at the first meeting of the year. We have shown that we are performing; we are closer to our direct rivals and highly motivated to continue working and continue to gain ground."
The next FIA WTCC races will be held in Morocco in a month. "We have time to analyze the Argentine weekend and to define a strategy," Tiago. "We know where we are, but we know it needs more work. Our goal is to maintain this level of performance and power as quickly as possible to fight for victory."