HUFF JOINS HONDA IN WTCC SHAKE-UP

Former World Touring Car champion Rob Huff will switch to Honda for this season, after leaving Lada.

The 36-year-old Briton spent two years with the Russian manufacturer, finishing 10th in the standings each year.

He won the title with Chevrolet in 2012, after spending eight seasons with the team, and will now join former Formula 1 driver Tiago Monteiro and Norbert Michelisz in an expanded three-car works Honda line-up.

Huff replaces 2009 champion Gabriele Tarquini in the team, despite the Italian finishing two places higher in the standings than Monteiro.

Huff first sampled a Honda Civic in Macau last year when he contested the TCR season finale.

“Over the past few seasons, I’ve become very used to seeing the Civic WTCCS in front of me, so it’s terrific to have the chance to race one this year,” Huff said.

“I won’t be happy to finish my career as only a one-time world champion, and there’s a tremendous opportunity with Honda and JAS to correct that statistic.

“I raced a Jas-built Civic TCR at Macau last year and it was a very well-built and fast machine, so that gives me plenty of confidence that we’ll have a strong season. I can’t wait to start testing.”

Huff had previously said that Citroen’s dominance of the category in recent years has been detrimental to the series but added that Volvo joining the championship for 2016 should help make a more exciting battle behind the Citroens.

“As much as we needed Citroen to come, we need them to leave [2016 will be Citroen’s final year] because they’re just too strong for anyone and the problem is that ultimately they have done the most amazing job,” he said last month.