 |
| Castrol Honda WTCC Civic |
On March 20, 2013, Honda announced that Castrol, the high-performance lubricant brand, would be the title sponsor of its factory team in the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Along with the sponsorship deal, the team adopted a new name - Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team – as well as an exciting green, white and red livery for the Civic WTCC. This brought back fond memories of Honda's previous relationship with Castrol with the Castrol Mugen Accord in 1994 and Castrol NSX JGTC in 2000. Both of the cars are exhibited in the Honda Collection Centre at Twin Ring Motegi.
Here's a summary of the results for the first two rounds of the WTCC season:
Round 1: Monza, Italy
Qualifying was sweet and sour for the team, as Tiago Monteiro was eliminated in Q1, hitting a wall while he was comfortably among the top-twelve.
Nevertheless, the team secured the season’s first podium in the WTCC with Gabriele Tarquini taking a fighting 3rd place in race 2 at a very wet Monza in Italy. Tarquini is 3rd in the WTCC Drivers Championship with 28 points, Monteiro is 6th with 14 points and Honda leads the WTCC Manufacturers Championship with 94 points.
Round 2: Morocco
Gabriele Tarquini won Honda its first pole position in WTCC since 2005, and it was Gabeiele's first pole after thirteen months since Monza 2012.
The team achieved another great result in Marrakech when Gabriele Tarquini again fought and won second place overall in the second round of the WTCC.
Honda now leads the constructors championship with 145 points, going into Round 3
At Slovakia Ring, Honda has achieved 1-2-3 for the Qualifying Sessions! A great result and we wish them a great race, hopefully a first all-Honda podium for 2013!
 |
| Castrol Mugen Accord JTCC |
 |
| Castrol Mugen NSX JGTC |
3 comments:
You can see Sato's Honda interview here. http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/31976213
Very, very brief translation, paraphrasing.
The first thing he said to his fans was ...
"Thank you for your patience, for your log wait" "It's been 12 years." "You would as well have given up (on me) but didn't"
AJ Hoyt called upon Sate to join his team. Since it's an one car team it's huge. Because he is a living legend Sato is humbled and honored to join his team. Bobby Rahal has his son driving his car so it worked out.
At Long Beach, he did started with hard compound tires last time with Rahal and the experience was good though didn't win. So he made sure to set up the car with the Hard and soft tires during warm-ups. He told his team to start with the hard despite everybody else on the grid.
The interviewer asked, "Did you have the final say as a driver?". He answered "Not exactlly, it's usally AJ's but he was out that day." "I said to my team that I'd keep my position and I'd only try to pass if it's possible til I come back in."
"I wasn't sure untill 3-4 laps though but I was able to keet up with the front(st & 2nd) with the red tires. So I knew then I was in good place." "I had started to see the rear end of the car in front of me was twiching at corners as he tried to push. I knew he was pushing and I was keeping up with him. I was patient. I was being adult as you may find hard to believe. So many times I've lost the opportunities, slipped out of my hand for so many years actually helped.", "I so waited 20 some laps before I saw the rear ends slided so then I took my chance."
"I'm on roll here now. I shouldn't say this ... but maybe this is the only time I could say something like this.", interviewer "Please, please go ahead, just say it", "I wanted show this is how you pass."
His team had some troubles with their pit stops before but they practiced & practiced. They did perfect jobs that day. AJ's team is consummate profetionals.
Sato & his main engineer, Don Holliday, have a very good & understanding relationship. Sato said he understand what sato is talking about of the car. And he called him a doctor(I'm not sure b/c he has a Phd). Sato said the result of the Long Beach wasn't a fluke. It can scientifically show how they did it. There is no language barrier, not in a sense of sato's english but more of technical languaage between a driver & his engineer.
"After I was ahead. It was like .... I enjoyed it."
"We all felt the race would end right there, no more laps.", "Well, you might have thought I'd crash or something. Believe in me ... well I know I'd only can say that after I start to win." "I was sort of cruising. I wasn't nervous." "I knew I was fast and I could manage to go faster or slow donw a bit too when the pit told me do do so"
"But I got really nervous when I saw the white flag. I drove away from the curbs at corners and stayed way away from side walls on my last lap."
something like that. (I'm sure someone who can understand Japanese would correct me on some thoguh)
SuperGT
http://www.honda.co.jp/SuperGT/spcontents2013/introduction/2013-hsv-010-gt/
Engine
Shorted exhausts(side). And with a shorter intake they were managed to get the higher or speedier engine response to higher rpm and be able to shift its power band to higher rpm $ better mpg. (I'm not sure. I thought top rpm & HP are regulated.)
Side-exhausts
They had tried three types first. One is side exhausts extit out to under the doors(Epson). This, they found out that it tends to heat up the rear tires. Although they did use it at 1st race because Donlop tires are not heat-sensitive as the others.
2nd one is to exit out through the side fender just behind the front wheels.(Raybrig).
3rd one is the same 8-4-2-1 exhaust.(Weider) simply because they didn't have enough time due to testing with new Michelin tires. They will probably change it to the side one at 2nd or 3rd race. See pictures.
Engine Sound
From the left, Raybrig & Weider & Epson(rear ex)
You can hear the differences.
Aerodynamics
Since changing to the front radiator from the side mounted radiators, it changed the air flow inside the engine room. So The front bonnet was rather shaped to better the aerodynamics of inside the engine room. And the side fenders' shape have changed a little, too. They were able to keep the similar aerodynamics but achieve better down force and the lower center of gravity though they did lost a bit of Yaw.
Something like that.
Takuma Sato is leading the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 at Sao Paulo.
Post a Comment