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Positive results for Honda at media day testing session

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Honda Yuasa Racing Team’s two Honda Civics were second and third in the time sheets at the end of the media day test session at Silverstone, but the team says they still have a lot of work to do to be ready for the season opener at Brands Hatch in just under two weeks.

Gordon Shedden was second fastest in the test, just over two-tenths of a second shy of reigning champion Matt Neal’s pole position time from last year, with Neal himself placed third just 0.014 seconds slower than his Honda team-mate.

Andrew Jordan was fifth fastest in the Eurotech Racing Honda Civic, also a new car built by Honda car builders Team Dynamics, in only his second time out with the new car.

“It’s been certainly a busy and at times quite a difficult testing period over the last couple of weeks,” said Honda Team Manager Peter Crolla to TouringCarTimes.

“We’re not too unhappy with where we are, there’s obviously a lot of work to do and not a massive amount of time to do it. We’ve got two more days of testing this week and some development work to do back at the workshop, so it’s going to be flat out between now and Brands, but for a first comparison as to where everybody else is…we’re not too dissatisfied.”

Manufacturers’ rivals MG weren’t ready to take part in the test session, with the car visibly missing some key aerodynamic parts, whilst top independent teams in the Championship West Surrey Racing’s best placed car was fourth, just 0.05s behind Shedden and Motorbase’s Aron Smith eighth fastest.

“I was surprised the Motorbase Fords weren’t higher up than they were, but looking at the number of laps that certainly Mat Jackson did it looks like there’s been some sort of issue there,” added Crolla. “I expect them to be strong because we know they’ve got a strong and a fast car from last year and I think that consistency is going to be key. For us, although we’re happy with the Civic so far, it’s still very early days and it’s still brand new to us and (we’re in an) early part of the learning process.”