Dealer
Q&A with Rob Huff
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Rob Huff will be on familiar territory when the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO resumes at WTCR Race of China next month.
The Briton is a regular in the China Touring Car Championship and spends time coaching Chinese drivers when he’s not competing for Sébastien Loeb Racing in his Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR. Here is a quick fire Q&A with the man himself.
You’re the winner but who would join you on your ultimate podium? “No one because I’d be first, second and third! It would obviously be me on top and Yvan Muller and Jason Plato could squabble between second and third. Growing up, watching these guys on TV, they were the guys I aspired to be. To not only be able to race against them, but to be their team-mates and occasionally win against them, they were some great memories.”
The WTCR visits 10 great tracks but if you could add one more, what would it be? “For me personally there are probably two. One would be Bathurst for sure. Having done the 12 Hours two times, World Touring Car racing there would be exceptional. But what we learned at the Nürburgring is that long straights are everything so Le Mans would bring something pretty spectacular to WTCR. So, let’s get one of those two on the calendar!”
What’s the story behind your race number 12? “When I first started karting, I don’t know how it came about, but we started with number 12 and it’s a number that followed me all the way through my career other than when we were at Chevrolet because we either ran number 1, 2 and number 8 because that was Louis Chevrolet’s number, so Alain Menu would always run number 8 and me and Yvan were swapping number 1 and 2 throughout the years. In the early years we were 6, 7 and 8 because of the Louis Chevrolet thing, then of course when the number choice came about, I went back to number 12. I think I was quite lucky because Yvan’s number was also 12 and I think if you ask him, he’ll tell you his number is 12 as well! But the year we could choose he won the title in the private Chevrolet so wanted number 1, I took number 12 and he’s never been able to have it back!”
Do you have any pre-race rituals? “I’m not superstitious at all. What will be will be, we do what we do and a lot of what we do is relying on the others around us. No matter what procedure you do, left glove, right glove, left boot, right boot, suit inside out, upside down, handstands, push-ups running around skipping, it’s not going to change what the guy next to you decides to do. For me I’m a purist. I don’t need to zoom out, I put my helmet on, I’m in my comfort zone and off we go.”
When it’s time to stop racing what will you do? “I love motorsport. I’ve started my own team and I’m doing a lot in China. I’ve been part of this family from day one when it was WTCC. I’m the longest serving member with more starts than anyone. For me I never want to leave. I’d like to come back, maybe as driver steward and slap some wrists of people who have annoyed me in the past! Obviously, I’m a great lover of historics, which is where I started. I’ll be the 80-year-old boy still in the paddock and everybody will be saying, ‘God, is he still around?’, but I love motorsport, I love it with a passion and I never want to leave.”
Rob Huff wears a Stilo ST5 F Zero 8860 helmet supplied by Nicky Grist Motorsports.
