New Honda World Touring Car Championship signing Rob Huff says he expects to be “in a prize-winning position from the off” as the new season gets underway at Circuit Paul Ricard in France this weekend.
Huff will embark on his first season with the JAS Motorsport factory Honda team, which has also expanded to include Norbert Michelisz alongside regular driver Tiago Monteiro.
Huff endured a disastrous weekend at the track in 2015, with a retirement followed by a failure to start the second race, but despite this the Brit remains optimistic about racing at the track.
“Circuit Paul Ricard wasn’t particularly great for me last year due to a mechanical failure, but the season before that I came from 15th to fifth, so it has treated me well in the past,” said Huff. “It’s a fast and technical track that I really like, so I have to look at getting some good points in the bag.”
Despite the move from LADA to Honda, Huff remains pessimistic about mounting a title challenge against Citroën’s José María López or Yvan Muller this year.
“A championship win against Citroën is unlikely in 2016, so my focus will be on securing P3 and to win the Manufacturers’ crown for Honda. I believe we will be in a prize-winning position from the off.”
A new feature for Huff in the 2016 season will be the ‘Manufacturers Against the Clock’ (MAC3) time trial element added after qualifying. This will see three drivers for each eligible marque pitted against the clock to produce the fastest team time, similar to that which is regularly seen in cycling.
Despite not expecting a drivers’ title, Huff believes that the strengthening of Honda’s team, combined with the new MAC3 qualifying initiative, could put the Japanese manufacturer in with a genuine shot at the manufacturer’s title.
“The new ‘WTCC MAC3’ idea could open up a lot of opportunities for teams,” added Huff. “I think Castrol Honda Racing has a real shot at being the best-placed manufacturer come the end of the year, with three very capable drivers in its stable.
“We’ve done a bit of practice during winter testing and we’re confident in the way we drive. It will be interesting to see the different approaches and how things go right and wrong. There are absolutely no guarantees, but lots of inconsistencies that will make it very tricky. Ultimately, you can plan as much as you like, but it’s all about getting off the line as quickly as possible.
“This is my 12th season in the WTCC and changes have been made to the format almost every year. The situation is the same for everybody and you just have to take it as it comes.
“It will be quite exciting to have the reversed grid for race one, as it will undoubtedly change how a lot of teams and drivers approach the race. Do you attack in race one, or not?”