Lada elated following their first podium finish with Rob Huff in Argentina

LADA Sport Lukoil secured a sensational first podium finish, and at one point looking set for a potential victory at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit, with 2012 champion Rob Huff securing the best result for the Russian manufacturer in the WTCC in the second race of the day.

From the first practice session, the team’s Lada Grantas showed a remarkable upturn in performance, running within a second of the pace setting Citroëns, having previously been over two seconds slower in prior events this year.

Rob Huff bumped his team-mate James Thompson out of the top 12 in the first part of qualifying, and then put the Granta in tenth position in Q2, in doing so securing pole position for the second race of the day.

In race one, Rob Huff leaped three positions forward at the start, and kept the Honda of Gabriele Tarquini at bay for the duration of the race to score a good seventh place finish.

Things went even better in race two, with Huff able to pull a 2.5 second gap to the squabbling Hondas behind, but eventually fell prey to José María López’s Citroën, when the Argentinian was able to break through and chase him down, passing for the lead with four laps to go, but leaving Huff to finish second, Lada’s best result since it first joined the Championship in 2008.

“I am absolutely delighted with this result. We could have won, but I knew how much this second place would mean for the team, so I made sure we got it,” said Huff. “Honestly, I enjoyed the podium as much as any I have had before and it was so nice to celebrate with the team who earned this result through tireless effort and dedication.”

Team Principal Viktor Shapavalov added:
“I am very, very happy! A great result for the team and a reward for the efforts we have put in this season, especially since the last race. This is an incredible day that makes us very proud.”

James Thompson secured a pair of points finishes to his tally, lost in the limelight of his team-mate’s success, but was much happier with his car, which has been suffering with significant handling issues during the early part of the season.
Thompson finished both races in tenth position, but could eventually be classified in ninth for race two depending upon the outcome of Campos Racing’s appeal over Dusan Borkovic’s exclusion.

“That was a fantastic weekend for the team,” said Thompson. “I am very happy for Rob (Huff) and it’s a well-deserved podium for all of us! All the cars performed excellently this weekend I was happy to score points again, satisfied with the car’s drivability, pace and consistency.”