Honda team mates talk about the NGTC Civic

Yesterday Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden officially launched their 2012 British Touring Car Championship campaign with the unveiling of the Honda Yuasa Racing Team NGTC Civics at the manufacturer’s UK plant. TouringCarTimes spoke to the two drivers about the new Civics, testing and their rivals in 2012.

TcT: Tell us about your new NGTC Civics?
MN: “The new car is very different. We’ve obviously got the new shape Civic, which is the 2KC Civic. It’s 50mm lower and 50mm wider than last year’s race car. So you put them next to each other and you just go ‘wow’. It’s a major step forward and very different to drive. It’s been built to the NGTC regulations and with those regulations we have to run 100 kilograms heavier and that makes a big difference to the feeling of the car, the braking of the car and the cornering. We’re also working with a new tyre from Dunlop. Under the regulations we now run an 18-inch instead of a 17-inch tyre and the 18-inch tyre from Dunlop is fantastic. It really is mega, very consistent, gives a lot of feedback and it’s lovely to work with.”

GS: “I think first and foremost it looks awesome. If it goes as well as it looks then we should be in good shape. We’ve got a lot to do yet before the start of the season. We’ve had a lot going on pre-season and a few teething issues with some of the bits on the first car that came through, but mine ran last week at Silverstone and it ran very well. Now that we’ve got two cars running we can start getting on with the development of it pretty quickly. The base feeling of the car is awesome. It’s got a lot of grip, it feels very well balanced and obviously we know the engine and the gearbox package from last year. So it fills us with confidence and we’ll see how we go.”

TcT: How has the testing been going?
MN: “There’ve been a few nice surprises and a few little curve balls. We’ve had a few issues integrating the common components which we have to use under the regulations into our car, but the car has got very good balance which is important. It’s stable on the road, it’s consistent and it’s pretty quick. You can’t find speed, it’s got to be in there right from the word go. We’ve got a few wrinkles to iron out but we just want to make sure we’re reliable for the first round.”

“We’ve done nine days so far at different circuits and the MIRA proving ground. We’re just trying to iron out bugs and understand the car. Under the new regulations we have to use a rocker suspension which is what you see in an F1 car. The suspension goes horizontally rather than vertically and it’s very different to get your head around. It’s something that I’ve not really used in a touring car before. Those are the rules and that’s what you’ve got to do and that’s what you’ve got to understand. We’re getting there slowly you’ve just got to chip away at it. You’ve got to go through all the different ranges to learn what’s bad as well as what’s good because obviously we’re going to come up against a lot of different tracks this year and a lot of different weather conditions. It’s just trying to understand the car fully for each scenario.”

TcT: Do you have much testing left to do?
GS: “Yeah. We’re going to be out two or three times a week hopefully now until the first round at Brands [Hatch]. We need to understand how this car works and what makes its heart beat. It’s a very different animal to last year’s car and we’ve got to try and make sure we get the best out of it.”

TcT: Who do you see as your main rivals in 2012?
MN: “The rules will work so the competition comes from every direction. Jason will be there with the MG for sure. You’ll have the Motorbase Fords, the West Surrey BMWs, they’ve got a new engine package so they’ll be there. I’ve got Gordon internally as big opposition. Then we’ve got Pirtek who are going to be running the same spec Civics as us. So it’s going to be thick and fast I reckon.”

GS: “I think the competition will come from up and down the pit lane. I think Wrathall will go well, I think the BMWs will come right back into it this year with a turbo engine and Jackson and the Ford will be there or thereabouts. Obviously the MGs will come on song; by hook or by crook that car will be competitive. You know that Jason will be in the hunt come the end of the season as well. We’re the ones that set the bar last year and everyone else is trying to knock us off that so we’ve just got to try and move that step forward again and make sure they’re not clipping at our heels too much.”