Photo: Honda Racing Media

Tiago Monteiro celebrates “wonderful day” with home pole

Tiago Monteiro starts his home race from pole position, the second time he’s achieved the feat and the first time in six years, making a relatively error-free run in the one-lap qualifying shootout, but now has heat and the race start as his main worries on race day.

Monteiro was first to run in the top five shootout, and set a time of 1:56.633, while his two-Honda team-mates and the two factory Citroëns followed, but all four made critical mistakes on their laps, losing time and handing the Portuguese driver his first pole in six years.

“It’s a wonderful day,” said Monteiro. “I knew it was a good first sector and decent last sector, but I made a mistake in the top chicane and I really lost a lot of time, so I wasn’t confident when I came back to the pits.

“It was my fastest lap of the weekend, but it was a waiting game to see who could (go faster), and there were a lot of mistakes. You need to do as few mistakes as possible as it’s a very challenging track, that’s why we all like it, it reminds us of Macau, you push very hard and it’s very easy to make mistakes, and in the end it worked out well for me.”

The temperatures are expected to soar into the mid-30s on Sunday, which will provide added difficulty.

“These are not the ideal conditions, but it will be the same for everybody,” said Monteiro.

“Apparently it will be hotter than today, everybody will suffer, the drivers, the cars, the tyres, the engine, even the fans out there with the sun. However, my main concern is starting in the middle of the pack for race one…the first few corners are always very tricky and I don’t want to get into trouble, but I don’t want to be too cautious either.

“The second race, pole gives me the advantage of being a bit in front, but the Citroëns also have very good starts, and my focus on the start will be the key to any potential victory.”