This weelend, Tiago Monteiro is participating in the second meeting of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), which is taking place on Valencia's Ricardo Tormo de Cheste circuit. The Portuguese driver clawed his way to an 11th place start in qualifying at the wheel of the SEAT Leon powered by the 1.6 liter turbo engine, which the SunRed team chose instead of the Diesel version that Tiago had driven in the championship's first races in Monza.

Therefore, Tiago Monteiro will be starting on the inside of the 6th row on the starting grid for the first Valencia race, and he is completely satisfied with the day's results, which may appear disappointing to a driver who has already won a race in Valencia. Tiago secured his best time in the first minutes of the session and, unlike most of his direct competitors, was unable to make a second attempt, which generally gives a driver the chance to shave off a few tenths of a second, as was effectively the case in Valencia today. Despite everything, Tiago finishes the day just two tenths out from 8th place on the starting grid. "If we keep in mind that we are talking about an engine that was not upgraded since last year, I can be content with the result. For various reasons, we came to the conclusion that it was the best option for this race and despite the doubts we had at the beginning about our ability to get into the top 12 in the first qualifying session, because our teammates are using the 2012 SEAT engine, we managed," Tiago Monteiro explained.

This initial phase of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) is a test of patience for Tiago Motneiro, who has to wait until the team can install the new SEAT engine in his Leon. "I was aware of this reality and I am concentrating on doing the best with the equipment I have available to me. I think that at the end of the day, this result is positive. Now I just have to battle it out in two races and move up a few positions in order to secure points. It's a job that is made more complicated when you are starting from the middle of the pack, but I am confident."

Both Valencia races will be broadcast on Eurosport, Sunday April 1 at 1:15 pm and 4:00 pm.

Tiago Monteiro changes colors

For several years, Tiago Monteiro was recognizable in the livery of his SEAT Leon which took part in the FIA World Touring Car Championship in a dominant yellow.

This weekend in Valencia marks a new start for the Portuguese driver's livery, which is now mostly white. "For several years, yellow predominated, and we decided to change the livery to mark the entry into a new era," Tiago Monteiro declared, "I am also taking the opportunity to refresh the decoration on my helmet. I think the result is very satisfactory. I hope that this new livery will coincide with a new crop of success."