The new Honda Civic Type R (FK8) is continuing to set records on race tracks across Europe, the latest being the Estoril circuit in Portugal. This is the fourth stop of the Type R Challenge 2018, after the Silverstone GP circuit in the United Kingdom, Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium as well as the Magny-Cours GP circuit in France.
Related: Honda Civic Type R Breaks Silverstone Lap Record
The man behind setting the new front-wheel drive (FWD) record at Estoril is Honda WTCR driver, Tiago Monteiro, who took just 2 minutes 01.84 seconds to lap the 4.2 km long track which features two hairpins, a long main straight and a tricky chicane.
As a comparison, the predecessor, Type R (FK2), recorded a time of 2 minutes 04.08 seconds at the same track with Bruno Correia at the wheel in 2016.
Related: Honda Civic Type R is the Fastest Front-Wheel-Drive Car at Magny-Cours
Commenting on the achievement, Tiago Monteiro said:
“We came here with a goal to beat the existing lap record set by the previous car but you can never take anything for granted – I mean it’s a lap record so it’s no easy feat. You have to have supreme confidence in the car to attack around Estoril, and the new Type R is just so powerful, smooth and confidence-inspiring. We beat the lap record, smashed the record actually.
The Type R is very stable and has very good braking efficiency and an amazing engine so it just feels like you are driving a race car – on the track it’s easy to forget that it’s a proper road car, but then you can drive it home. The new Type R is a big evolution. I mean we’re talking about a totally different car in terms of design, aero, suspension, geometries, engine, but more than anything the feeling of driving the car.”
The Civic Type R firmly remains the benchmark of Honda and its motorsport heritage. The Japanese automaker aims to break more lap records at various other circuits in future.
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