LADA’s Rob Huff admits that he is ‘very excited’ for this weekends Russian rounds of the World Touring Car Championship, which will take place at his team’s local circuit at the Moscow Raceway.
Following a heavy start-line shunt in the second WTCC race at the Salzburgring in Austria last time out, Huff’s LADA Sport Lukoil team have worked flat-out to repair his and team-mate James Thompson’s Granta for the forthcoming meeting.
Huff secured a podium finish in the second race of the inaugural event in 2013 when driving a SEAT León, and the Brit admits that he is looking forward to returning this year at the wheel of a local manufacturer’s car.
“I’m very excited about arriving in Russia, as it’s always nice to be representing a ‘local brand’ and I think last year’s round at Moscow Raceway produced some of the most interesting racing of the season,” said Huff.
“It’s a complex circuit, it’s very slippery to the point where it feels like you’re driving in the rain and it has a high-friction surface that punishes tyres. That combination creates a tricky situation for teams and makes for entertaining races and, as LADA Sport LUKOIL has achieved its strongest results in difficult conditions, I hope to reward the home support with some strong finishes this weekend.”
Huff added that his team were faced with just three days to complete repairs on both of their Granta cars after the previous round, before the team began the 2,000 km truck journey from the Salzburgring to Moscow
“The team has done a terrific job to get both mine and James’s car ready and fixed in time after our Salzburgring smash,” added Huff. “There was only three days to repair the extensive damage to both cars so it’s a testament to the team’s professionalism and determination that we’re able to compete at Moscow.
“I don’t think you can appreciate how much passion there is for LADA without visiting Russia. It’s a very patriotic country and LADA represents that, so I’m excited to see what sort of welcome we get.”