Tiago Monteiro has returned to the race track for the first time since his testing accident in Barcelona last year as testing ahead of the new WTCR season continues at Monza.

The Portuguese driver had been firmly in contention for the World Touring Car Championship title before the accident late last summer, which saw him forced to miss the final four rounds of the season as he started the recovery from his injuries.

The 41-year-old is scheduled to return to competitive action this season in the new World Touring Car Cup after being named as one of the drivers with the Boutsen Ginion Racing team.

The ongoing test at Monza, being attended by a number of WTCR teams, provided Monteiro with the first chance to get behind the wheel of his Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR although the focus was firmly on gauging his level of fitness rather than doing any kind of development work on the car.

“I feel good actually,” he told TouringCarTimes after his initial run in the car. “Physically it is no problem at all. I only did three laps and only tried the kerbs a little to see how my neck and shoulder were but there was no pain. I’ve been training hard, and I think on that side it’s okay.

“The main concern has been my eyes which aren’t there yet, and I can see there is work to do on my vision. This isn’t a return to action; it is more a test to assess my level of fitness and to see where we need to work more.

“It’s not about developing the car, it’s about seeing how I am. I understand there are still some problems and the reaction of my eyes isn’t 100 percent but the doctors are optimistic it will come soon and it is just a matter of time.

“My goal is still to be racing in Marrakech. The last month, things have changed a lot and hopefully there will be more changes in the next month although I think it will be a late call and we will probably have to make a decision [about racing] a week or so before.”