Rob Huff believes he is in the ‘best position’ he’s ever been in to win the World Touring Car Championship in 2017, after sampling his new Münnich Motorsport Citroën C-Elysée for the first time last week.
Former WTCC champion Huff took to the Navarra Circuit in Spain at the end of February to sample his new car for the first time, after announcing a return to the German All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport team in 2017.
For Huff, the move signals the resumption of a partnership that began in 2013, and it also means he will face learning a new car for the fifth year in a row.
Having sampled the car which took the last three titles in a row, Huff admits that he was ‘blown away’ by the job done by Citroën Racing in developing the car.
“It’s so refined, Citroën have literally done the most amazing job to develop the car quite so intensely,” said Huff to TouringCars.Net. “What they have managed to produce is something that is really quite incredible.
“I can’t emphasise enough quite how brilliant the car is. They’ve not left a single stone unturned. It’s the modern-day Chevrolet, effectively. But they’ve gone even further with development than Chevrolet did.
“What we achieved at Chevrolet and RML was something spectacular, and what Citroën did three years ago blew that out of the water. That shows realistically the level where that car is at.
“Having driven it last week for the first time I was literally blown away. I don’t want to say it’s easy, but it just works. Driving a race car is never easy, but Citroën have given me a car that is easier to drive than any other touring car I’ve driven.
“When I saw it last week it was the first time I’ve ever been anywhere near it. It’s a tank; it’s the [Mercedes-Benz] SLS of the touring car world – it’s a monster!
“Ultimately Citroën put more money into this car than anyone has ever put into a touring car, with the best people in the motorsport game with them as well. I don’t see anyone matching what they’ve managed to do.”
Huff also says he is pleased to be returning to the independent Münnich Motorsport team, with whom he raced a SEAT León in the 2013 WTCC.
“I genuinely think this season is as good a chance as I’ve ever had to win another World Championship. I am confident, but you can never underestimate anyone.
“Just because you’ve potentially got the best car on the grid, it doesn’t mean that it’s in the bag whatsoever. You need to avoid the bad luck; I don’t necessarily want any good luck, but I want to avoid as much bad luck [as possible].
“I know the team very well; I’ve known them for years. It’s the same guys that I worked with in 2013 and they’re hugely capable. I think we’re all quite pleased with what’s lying ahead of us for the next nine months.”
Huff also admits that he is looking forward to being in an independent one-car team, without having to worry about any team-mates or manufacturer pressures, despite Team Principal René Münnich having mooted the possibility of a team-mate at one stage.
It means that it will be the first time in Huff’s WTCC career, after making his début in 2005, that he is the sole focus of a team’s efforts.
“I’m quietly very happy that I’m in a one-car team; I get to make my own decisions and I kind of get to make my own rules, if that makes sense
“I don’t need to worry about not hitting a team-mate, or driving cautiously behind a team-mate while they’re trying to attack somebody in front. We’re a one-car team and the attitude changes in that aspect, in the sense that it’s us and us only.
“When René and I started talking about this back in October last year, he said to me ‘do you want a team-mate? Who would you want?’ and I said to him, that, if I’m honest, I’m quite happy on my own. He agreed and so that’s the way we’ve done it.”