03 February 2012 - 10H09  

Honda to join FIA World Touring Car Championship
This file photo shows drivers competing with their Honda Civic during a rally in Europe, in 2010. Japanese auto manufacturer is to enter a team in the FIA World Touring Car Championship from October, the company announced on Friday.
This file photo shows drivers competing with their Honda Civic during a rally in Europe, in 2010. Japanese auto manufacturer is to enter a team in the FIA World Touring Car Championship from October, the company announced on Friday.

AFP - Japanese auto manufacturer Honda is to enter a team in the FIA World Touring Car Championship from October, the company announced on Friday.

It will race its new Civic beginning with the Japanese rounds on October 20-21 at the Suzuka circuit, the 10th leg of the 12-leg championship series, it said.

"We will compete with one car from the Japanese round in October this year, and will use two cars from next year," the head of its motor sports section, Hideo Sato, told reporters.

Each leg is raced in a different country from Europe to the Americas to Asia and includes two races. Chevrolet won last year's manufacturers' championship, while Yvan Muller of France took the honours in the drivers' competition.

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