The new Honda Civic in global debut with TCR UK champion

After winning the TCR UK title with Chris Smiley on its maiden season, Restart Racing returns to the championship with Smiley in a new Honda Civic Type R FL5 that will make its global debut at the season opener in Snetterton on Easter weekend.

Team Principal Bert Taylor said: "We had a fantastic season last year, and we're aiming to show that we're taking things really seriously with this project, expanding to two cars with Scott Sumpton joining Chris, but also working with JAS Motorsport as we become the first team to run the Civic Type R FL5. We are very excited to getting our hands on the new car very soon and making it ready for the season's start next week. Chris is heading straight off to Spa-Francorchamps after the media activities today to do a shakedown and bring the car back to the UK."

Smiley echoed: "I'm really excited for the start of the season, more so than any other I think. Last year was a step into the unknown, while this year it's a very different feeling going in as the champion and knowing there will be a target on your back, but it's an exciting feeling. Then there's also the car. I'm very happy that we'll be racing the brand-new Honda Civic. We developed a great relationship with the Honda car builders JAS in Italy last year, and now we've been entrusted with the racing debut of this stunning new car - I can't wait to hit the track at Snetterton and seeing what it can do."

Mads Fischer, JAS Motorsport TCR Project Leader, added: “We’re so excited to confirm the global racing debut of the new Honda Civic Type R with Restart Racing in TCR UK at Snetterton. We’ve spent a long time working on the concept and design and testing has gone extremely well with our tester Néstor Girolami reporting the FL5 car is an improvement over the old model in virtually every area.”

Picture: Restart Racing