Honda announce line-up for 2017 FIA WTCC

Tiago Monteiro, Norbert Michelisz and Ryo Michigami

Honda are pleased to announce that Tiago Monteiro, Norbert Michelisz and Ryo Michigami will form a three-driver line-up in the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2017.

The trio will race the latest development of the Honda Civic WTCC, which has undergone a programme of continued development from Honda R&D and JAS Motorsport this winter.

For Tiago, 2016 marked the best season of his WTCC career. Having become the first Portuguese driver to lead an FIA World Championship after an early-season victory in Slovakia, he finished third in the points and was a highly-popular winner at his home event on the streets of Vila Real in June.

The 40-year-old will embark on his fifth full season with Honda in 2017, having given the Civic WTCC its race debut at Suzuka, Japan, in 2012.

Hungarian driver Norbert, 32, joined the factory Honda team in 2016 after spending three seasons in privateer Civics and twice winning the WTCC Trophy for drivers of independent teams.

He led home a famous 1-2-3 finish at Honda’s home WTCC round in Japan and finished fourth in the drivers’ championship.

Ryo made his WTCC debut in a fourth Civic at Twin Ring Motegi last year and will gain further experience of the car during winter testing.

The 43-year-old triumphed in Japan’s prestigious Super GT Championship in a Honda NSX in 2000 and will become Japan’s first full-time entrant in the WTCC.

Honda’s 2017 WTCC line-up will not feature Rob Huff, who finished sixth in last season’s points and scored a debut victory at Circuit Paul Ricard in France.

http://www.castrolhondawtcc.com/b23/honda-announce-line-up-for-2017-fia-wtcc/