Faced with the challenge of becoming the fastest production front wheel drive on five of the main European circuits, the Honda Civic Type R has just completed what the Japanese brand called the “Honda Civic Type R Challenge 2018”, adding the fifth and final record to which it set itself. This time on the Hungaroring circuit.
With former British Formula 1 champion Jenson Button at the wheel, the Type R managed to make the best lap of the Hungarian 4.38 km circuit — which includes 180º turns and a complex chicane — 2:10.19sec.
With this time, Button managed to improve the record set by the previous generation Civic Type R in 2016.
Jenson Button, NSX Super GT driver and former F1 world championWe came to the Hungaroring, where I won my first F1 race with Honda in 2006, to set a new lap record in a front-wheel-drive production car with the new Type R, and I'm so happy we did it!
five circuits, five records
The fastest lap scoring for front-wheel-drive production cars at the Hungaroring is the latest chapter in a challenge that started after April 2017, following the enshrinement of the new Honda Civic Type R as the fastest front-wheel-drive production vehicle ever , on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
On the German track, the Japanese single managed to set the best lap time, 7min43.8s.
From then onwards, attempts were made to Magny-Cours , France, with WTCR driver Esteban Guerrieri setting a new record 2min1.51s.
Already in Spa-Francorchamps , in Belgium, it fell to Bertrand Baguette, star of the Japanese Super GT, to set the best mark and new track record, 2min 53.72s.
In July 2018, in silverstone , it was the turn of BTCC legend Matt Neal to set a new record for the British track 2min 31.32s.
Finally, in our Estoril Autodrome , it fell to the Portuguese WTCR driver Tiago Monteiro to set it as a new benchmark for front-wheel drive vehicles, 2min 1.84s.