WTCC: JAS the way in for Honda?

The World Touring Car Championship saw a very rapid Honda Accord work its way through the field at the hands if Roberto Colciago. Ollie Barstow delves deeper into the background and looks to what this could mean for the future...

Having been continuously dominated by the likes of Alfa Romeo, BMW and to a lesser extent SEAT in recent years, the World Touring Car Championship - formerly the European Touring Car Championship - very nearly added a fourth name to the manufacturers winners circle last time out in Mexico in the shape of JAS Honda Motorsport. In the end though, leading driver Roberto Colciago was cruelly denied what was potentially a double victory in a weekend that saw the team hit new heights of competitiveness.

Benefiting from the level playing field that was each driver having to navigate the tight and twisty Puebla circuit for the first time, Colciago and his Accord Euro R immediately set the high standard throughout practice, going on to record the quickest time in qualifying and grabbing their first ever pole position in the WTCC. However, an indiscretion at the previous round in Imola meant all Colciago's hard work was undone by a ten grid slot penalty, thus leaving him in 11th. Nonetheless, Colciago fought his way into the upper echelons of the field with resounding speed only for a broken gearbox to stymie his impressive progress.

Starting from the back of the grid courtesy of his retirement, Colciago once again swiftly made his way past the competition and by the final lap was hustling the Alfa Romeo of Fabrizio Giovanardi for third place. However, the Italian pushed too hard and when he made a rather robust pass for that final podium place - which would have been JAS Motorsport's first in the series -, stewards took a dim view and gave him a 30-second penalty, dropping him to 18th.

It was a frustrating way to end the weekend for JAS who believe they had the speed to win both races had fate not intervened. It was a particular surprise for the WTCC front runners as the Accord has shown steady, but not scintillating pace in 2005, with Imola heralding their first points finish of the year in sixth. Developed constantly since its debut in 2004, the Accord has come on leaps and bounds, moving steadily up the grid and reaching its pinnacle in Mexico. Indeed, Mexico marked a significant quantum leap in competitiveness for JAS and having managed points in Imola followed by a pole at Puebla, a win is the ultimate aim now, even if the next race at Spa-Francochamps is not expected to be quite so suited to the Accord when the WTCC circus reaches Belgium in a fortnight's time.

Taking on the giants of the manufacturer backed teams, the JAS Accord may be the only Honda on the WTCC grid, but it is far from a works effort. Instead, Honda lend a hand in aiding the Accord's development without providing fully committed backing. Still, this could be about to change with Honda increasingly being mooted as having designs on a full works entry as soon as next year. With interests on a world stage already courtesy of Formula One and to a lesser extent the Indy Racing League, moving into the WTCC could prove a logical step considering the manufacturers desire to rival the likes of BMW and Alfa Romeo in the passenger car market. If this were to happen, JAS are expected to be at the forefront of this charge having been loyal to Honda in the past, fielding the Accord and Civic in the BTCC, STCC and STW since 1997, albeit under different guises.

With the WTCC receiving increasing recognition across the globe and JAS doing wonders on a tight budget and minimal testing, rivals should be rightly worried if Honda do decide to bite the bullet and join the fray - that close-knit winners circle may not be quite so tight for much longer...