Photo: PSP Images

Honda Yuasa Racing duo preparing for “step into the unknown”

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The Honda Yuasa Racing duo of Matt Neal and reigning champion Gordon Shedden are anticipating a close 2016 season, acknowledging the amount of testing needed over the winter to ensure their competitiveness for the year ahead.

Speaking at the Autosport International Show, Neal and Shedden both confirmed that although the car is aesthetically similar to its 2015 counterpart, under the shell will be a totally different story owing to the switch to RML components for the 2016 season.

“I always think plan for the worst hope for the best,” Neal told TouringCarTimes. “Whether it was fortunate or what, I think we were the first to really grasp and understand how the first set of components worked in NGTC. I think that gave us a head start on everyone that we kind of kept throughout the five year term. Problem is now it’s all back to scratch, we’ve got to work to get the hang of the new stuff but someone might get the jump on us so it’s a real foot into the unknown.”

“I think it’s like starting again from scratch,” added Shedden. “The car will look similar from the outside but it’s totally different on the inside, we’ve got a new engine as well that’s got it’s own challenges. I think everyone’s in the same boat now, Matt alluded to it – we got the jump in 2012 on these components and in NGTC, and now everyone who’s using the RML bits is back to square one. It’ll be interesting to see who drops on the way to do it quickest.”

The Honda team will see a third Civic Type-R take to the grid for 2016, with a third TOCA BTCC Licence (TBL) being awarded to the team for the upcoming season. Neal confirmed that the car is currently being put together, ahead of an overseas testing programme in February.

“Everything is in build,” said Neal. “We plan to go to Spain in week two of February, that’ll be with one old car and one new car just to try and do definitive back to back stuff. One completely 2016-spec and one completely 2015-spec. We’re still working on getting a new driver [for the third seat].”