The NGK-sparked Honda Civic World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) team made a flying start in the opening round of the 2016 FIA World Championship.
The team achieved a double-podium finish in the main race at Circuit Paul Ricard in France with Tiago Monteiro taking second place and Norbert Michelisz third following fellow team driver Briton Rob Huff’s opening-race win to give Honda the lead of the manufacturers’ championship.
NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd is a technical partner of the team and is delighted with its successful start to the new season.
Mark Hallam, NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd Marketing Manager, said: “We are extremely pleased to be a partner of the Honda team for the 2016 season and immensely encouraged by the performance of the drivers and the team as a whole.”
NGK is renowned for supplying original equipment (OE) spark plugs, glow plugs and NTK Lambda and other engine management sensors to the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers with the same parts being available to the UK and Ireland independent automotive aftermarket. It also supplies a wide range of ignition coils to make it the leading ignition specialist.
During the weekend’s main race, Monteiro, who started second, dropped to third at the start, but quickly began to pile pressure on the car in front. Backed up by Michelisz, who made a great getaway to climb from sixth to fourth, both made it past Yvan Muller in one move at two-thirds distance to complete a double-podium.
Following fourth and third spots in the opening race, Monteiro and Michelisz lie second and fourth in the drivers’ championship.
Opening-race winner Rob Huff was unfortunately pushed off the circuit at first corner, for which his assailant was later penalised. The incident dropped him from ninth to last, but the 2012 WTCC champion refused to give up, despite suffering damage to his Civic. He made up 10 places in the remaining 16 laps to climb to a sixth place by the chequered flag.
His superb result, which was in addition to his earlier victory, puts him third in the championship, one point behind Monteiro and five off the series lead.
Huff was also the recipient of the TAG Heuer Performer Award for fastest race lap of the weekend, having achieved the award for his race one performance.
The WTCC continues with Round Two at the Slovakia Ring in Slovakia on April 16-17.
