Huff shines through the gloom to land big win
Without a World Touring Car Championship win in 595 days, Rob Huff headed to Macau for the first time in some years with legitimate competition for the favourite tag at the Guia race.
But something just clicks for Huff around Macau, and he marked a return to form with pole for the main race on Friday and a new qualifying lap record of the Guia street circuit in his Citroen C-elysee. Seventh in the reverse-grid race was a solid foundation for Huff’s weekend, but he secured the main prize a day later by becoming a nine-time winner in the Chinese Special Administrative District.
He was made to work for it at the start by Honda driver and title hopeful Norbert Michelisz – who a day earlier had brought the first race to a premature end after crashing at Police bend – but once Huff had broken the nippy Civic’s tow there was only going to be one victor and he eventually won by 8.142 seconds in the wet, becoming the most decorated Macau winner in the process.
Behind Michelisz, Tom Chilton nabbed third on the final lap after repassing Esteban Guerrieri – a result Chilton felt was “karma” for being held up by the Argentinian, who was protecting Honda team-mate Michelisz.
Chilton’s Sebastien Loeb Racing team-mate Mehdi Bennani won the opening race, after securing reverse-grid pole despite failing to set a time in the second part of qualifying. The race was a far happier affair for Bennani, who led throughout and beat the Chevrolet Cruze of Tom Coronel to victory, with the result counted back due to Michelisz’s crash. Jack Cozens