Paul Jeffrey
Premium
Lada World Touring Car Championship star driver and 2012 Champion Rob Huff has blitzed the TCR field in first practice for the TCR finale at the Macau Guia Circuit on Thursday.
Huff, making his TCR debut in the WestCoast Racing Honda Civic blitzed the field by an incredible 1.8 seconds from second placed Craft-Bamboo Lukoil driver, and former WTCC works Seat representative, Jordi Gené. Pepe Oriola finished a further second behind in third position.
A seven-times winner at the Guia Circuit, Huff appeared in confident mood throughout practice and is looking to take his form forward into the remainder of the weekend and secure an incredible 8th Macau win and TCR debut victory.
Speaking to touringcartimes.com, Huff was full of praise for his WestCoast Racing machine,
"The car feels very good, it is fun to drive, I am very happy with the first session and I am optimistic about the remainder of the weekend, although this is Macau so you never know what is going to happen next!
"I love this place – it’s fantastic! I come to Macau every year with no expectations. I’ve had more wins here than anyone else but Macau is Macau.
"I have a great respect for the track and I think that has to be priority number one. It’s a track where you can’t make any mistakes at all and that’s why I love street circuits. With this track, it takes years and years to learn all the nooks and crannies and where you can gain the extra tenth or two."
"I love this place – it’s fantastic! I come to Macau every year with no expectations. I’ve had more wins here than anyone else but Macau is Macau.
"I have a great respect for the track and I think that has to be priority number one. It’s a track where you can’t make any mistakes at all and that’s why I love street circuits. With this track, it takes years and years to learn all the nooks and crannies and where you can gain the extra tenth or two."
Championship protagonists Pepe Oriola and Stefano Comini were separated by 9 tenths of a second in third and fourth places respectively. Spaniard Oriola trails Comini in the championship standings heading into the final weekend by just two points and found his first day at the track frustrated by traffic but pleased non the less to be ahead of his main rival at this early stage.
“The session was good, but we couldn’t show our pace,” said Oriola. “I’m a little bit frustrated because there are some slow drivers who don’t watch their mirrors and I was blocked two or three times when I was on a fast lap. Hopefully I can get some clean laps in FP2 tomorrow to show my real pace."
"I am quite far behind (Rob) Huff, but my race is with Comini and I’m ahead of him so I’m happy. I think Qualifying will be really important. We’ve seen all year how hard these cars are to overtake and here there are only two or three places to overtake. Qualifying will be early in the morning, so the track will be dirty and quite slippery and so getting heat into the tyres may be quite difficult. As long as I am in front of Comini, I know I can win."
"I am quite far behind (Rob) Huff, but my race is with Comini and I’m ahead of him so I’m happy. I think Qualifying will be really important. We’ve seen all year how hard these cars are to overtake and here there are only two or three places to overtake. Qualifying will be early in the morning, so the track will be dirty and quite slippery and so getting heat into the tyres may be quite difficult. As long as I am in front of Comini, I know I can win."
For his part Comini recognises the huge task he faces in order to claim the maiden TCR International Championship crown.
“To be honest I did not expect to be so close to Pepe (Oriola). The gaps obviously look bigger here, but Rob Huff told me that if you are within six seconds off the pace in your first session then you are on the right track. I’m one second behind Pepe, I know I don’t have the easiest task ahead of me, and my lack of experience surely is a handicap, but I will still fight as hard as I can.
"It’s all quite complicated, the difference is so slim you can’t really calculate and try to be tactical. You just have to give it as much as you can and hope for the best. Like I said, though, the result of the first session is encouraging and I can’t wait for the next session. I love this track!
"I don’t feel completely comfortable with the car, so there is work to do. I also know I have to shave a lot off my lap time, which is good, because I know the limit is a little further ahead. I just need to drive as fast as I can!"
"It’s all quite complicated, the difference is so slim you can’t really calculate and try to be tactical. You just have to give it as much as you can and hope for the best. Like I said, though, the result of the first session is encouraging and I can’t wait for the next session. I love this track!
"I don’t feel completely comfortable with the car, so there is work to do. I also know I have to shave a lot off my lap time, which is good, because I know the limit is a little further ahead. I just need to drive as fast as I can!"
Will you be watching the season's final round this weekend? Who do you think deserves to wrap up the title? Let us know in the comments below!
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