Monteiro’s comeback victory still the stuff of WTCR legend

Tiago Monteiro was the hero of Portugal following his emotionally-charged home WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup win on the streets of Vila Real on July 7, 2019. The now 45-year-old, who lives less than one hour from Vila Real, suffered serious head and neck injuries in a testing crash in September 2017. He was on course to win the FIA World Touring Car Championship that season but fought a long and arduous recovery to return to racing instead.

Ad/> He took the lead of the Vila Real weekend’s third and final race when his Honda-powered team-mate Attila Tassi hit trouble with a spark plug issue, holding his nerve to the finish for his first victory since he triumphed in Hungary two years previously. WTCRWTCR format refresherAN HOUR AGO “Winning that race was the best you can hope for as a driver in a world series,” said Monteiro. “It’s always amazing to win but in your home country, in a place where you are so welcomed and there is so much passion for what you do is just incredible.

For sure the victory was more emotional compared to the previous ones because of the accident and the difficulties and the uncertainties of the recovery. It was my first win after the accident. Everybody was so happy I won but it had a special meaning for me.” Monteiro entered the Vila Real weekend three years ago off form to the point he languished in P14 in Qualifying for Race 1.

But an overnight transformation got him and team-mate Tassi back on track with Tassi taking pole for Race 3 and Monteiro joining him on the front row of the grid. “We thought we were having a tough season back then but, to be honest, this one is probably even harder,” Monteiro said. “Sometimes you have better seasons, sometimes you have harder ones and we have