with History At Monza for the final European races of the FIA WTCC
Tiago Monteiro is making his second trip to Italy in a row to take part in the final European meeting of the 2008 FIA World Touring Car Championship. The Porto native will be heading to one of the high temples of European auto racing, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. Tiago is very familiar with the Lombard circuit, since he drove on it in Formula 1 as well as in his ascent through F3000 in 2002, as well as in the WTCC last year.
The SEAT Sport driver is not dwelling on his misfortunes at Imola, and hopes to come home from Monza with a result that is up to his potential and that of his León TDI. "These are the final races that we will be contesting close to home and will have the backdrop of a circuit that is steeped in history. I am particularly motivated to score points at Monza," Tiago explains, "I know that conditions won't be ideal because our car is heavy, but we will do everything to keep dominating the championship. My mission will above all be to work for the good of the team. Monza is a very fast circuit, with long straight lines but also with chicanes which can be much less nice to us. Indeed, the SEAT León's suspension was not optimal going over the curbs at Imola and the free sessions will therefore be crucial in order to find the best set-up. The experience we acquired last year will be determinant too."
With two victories to his credit this year, Tiago Monteiro is one of the most competitive drivers in the FIA WTCC, but he is also one of its most unlucky, as was demonstrated in the Imola races, where he lost two chances to score big points because of adversaries who confused speed with haste. Tiago has only been able to score points five times this year, but his average is 6 points each time.
Weather forecasts are calling for cloudy skies over Monza on Saturday, October 4, and then the sun is expected to come out for the races. The temperature should not be higher than 20°C.
The Monza races will be rebroadcast on Eurosport: qualifying is on Saturday at 1:45 PM, and the races will take place on Sunday at 11:00 AM and 2:30 PM.
