July 1-3, Tiago Monteiro will be racing at home. His home town of Porto will be hosting the 6th meeting of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), which will mark the end of the first half of the 2011 season. Before racing in Portugal, Tiago already has two podiums, which he secured driving the TDI version of the SEAT Leon. Since he has been racing in the FIA WTCC, he has popped open the victory champagne twice in Portugal, once at Estoril, on the old Formula 1 circuit, and another time in 2010 on the Portimao track. In 2009, Tiago secured points in the first two races in FIA WTCC history held in Porto.
Several thousand spectators will come to the Boasvista circuit where Tiago hopes the event will be a national party. "This race is very important to Portuguese motor sport, and therefore it is essential to make this weekend a success. It would be wonderful for me to feel the support of the Portuguese audience," Tiago declared. The driver of the SEAT Sun-Red #18 car hopes to reward his countrymen with two great races and perhaps a victory, to round out his record with three home wins on three different circuits. Two weeks after the disappointment at Brno, Tiago knows the limits of his package at present. "Unfortunately, the 1.6 liter turbo engine developed by the team is still very young and has not yet reached its peak," Tiago explained, "So I know that I will have to get ready for a tough weekend despite my motivation, which is increased tenfold by getting to race in front of my fans. The main objective will be to secure the most points I can."
For the past few days, Tiago has had a very busy schedule between physical training and commercial operations with his sponsors. Nevertheless, Tiago is taking the time to get to know the Boavista area and circuit. "Several changes have been made to the track and I think that they are for safety but also for the entertainment factor. The new version of the circuit looks to me to be better than in previous years, with more overtaking opportunities."
The Porto races will be a unique opportunity for Portuguese fans to attend a motor sport event of international scope, organized by the FIA, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.
The schedule calls for drivers to hit the track on Friday, July 1. Free practice will take place on Saturday and qualifying will be broadcast on a delay by Eurosport starting at 6:30 p.m. Races will also be broadcast live on Sunday July 3 at noon and 4:30 p.m.