Rob Huff is predicting ‘the old boys’ to be at the front of the field in this weekend’s TCR International Series races at the Zhejiang Circuit in China, after he set the pace in Friday’s free testing session.
Huff topped the times ahead of team-mate Jean-Karl Vernay, with experienced racers Gianni Morbidelli, Gabriele Tarquini and Alain Menu next in the classification.
That, says Huff, is in part down to driver experience on the new and slippery circuit, which the Brit summed up as a ‘typical Chinese circuit’.
“It’s interesting because when you look at the times it’s quite a lot of the old boys with experience at the top,” said Huff to TouringCars.Net. “The kids who throw caution to the window on the fast stuff are struggling here. I think that will show in qualifying as well.
“There’s no doubt it’s a driver’s circuit, and I think that’s why the experienced guys are at the front. We [drivers] say there’s not going to be overtaking – if you look at the track layout for sure you would say that no one can overtake anywhere.
“But the track is so green, it’s so fresh and it’s so slippery and easy to make a mistake, that I think there will be overtaking because you’ve only got to make a tiny mistake and you’re going to lose out.”
Huff was otherwise positive about the new circuit, which requires drivers to stay on line through a sequence of bends, as mistakes at one corner can be punished with entry into the subsequent corner on the wrong line.
“It’s actually really good fun; it’s up and down with some huge elevation changes of 30 or 40 m. It’s typical of a new track as it’s very slippery and ‘green’ with no racing line [yet]. The tarmac is different to what we use in Europe, so it’s slippery, but it’s really interesting because it’s flowing.
“OK, it’s all second or third gear, but it’s quite nice. It’s different to what we’re used to – we’re used to the Formula 1 style circuits where it’s long and you can stretch your legs, and of course here it’s the total opposite and it’s tight and twisty.”
Huff, who is contesting his last TCR International Series meeting of the year in support of Vernay, is predicting qualifying to be particularly close around the 3.2-kilometre circuit.
“I think it will be really close around here,” added Huff. “There will be a train of cars, and if you lose a little bit, you’re going to lose a lot.
“It’s going to be tough – because it’s so tight and twisty with lots of corners in 3 km of track, you’ve got to be absolutely on the button in terms of concentration without making a mistake.
“Ultimately, I’m here for a reason, and that’s to help JK [Vernay], but if I can [win] I will. I’d love to go out with a win, and if that’s possible then I shall try my damndest.”