Yvan Muller blasts Honda for contact, Rob Huff slams Muller’s “new style”

Honda’s Rob Huff and Citroën’s Yvan Muller have laid the blame with each other following an incident in the main race at the Hungaroring, which saw Huff landed with a drive-through penalty, scuppering any chance of taking victory from José María López

The former team-mates and title rivals Rob Huff and Yvan Muller came together at Turn 3 on lap 10, as Huff had caught the battling Citroëns in the wet conditions and was chasing for his second victory of the season.

Huff made contact with the rear of Muller’s Citroën, forcing him wide, with the Frenchman venting his frustration with the manoeuvre on the radio to his team, shortly before the stewards chose to hand Huff a drive-through penalty which would see him finish down in sixth.

“Once I got past Yvan we dropped him very quickly,” said Huff to TouringCarTimes. “I’m sure he was too busy screaming and shouting on the radio, as it seems quite normal now for Yvan to flap and wave quite a bit.

“It’s a shame as I had better traction than him out of Turn 1, I drew alongside, but then as normal the Citroën out-accelerated us a little bit. He was defending to the inside then he decided he wanted to turn right and jump on the brakes, we touched, and it’s one of those things.”

Muller vented his frustration with Honda’s drivers after the race, following a number of incidents over the first three races with both Tiago Monteiro and Rob Huff.

“I did a good start, I was P3 at the first corner, and quickly I was up to second and could catch José, but then when we were fighting Rob (Huff) could come back (to me),” said Muller. “I’ve been pushed by a Honda four times in three races which I think is a bit too much,” he added.

On whether he felt Huff’s penalty was warranted, he was sharp in his response.

“I arrived Turn 2, I braked even later than José, then suddenly I had a tap on the back and went sideways, and (Huff) passed me because of that, so yes (I think he deserved the penalty).”

Huff believes Muller’s driving behaviour is being influenced by the competition from within the Citroën team, and has had his part to play in the contact over the last two events.

“It seems to be the way he wants to drive at the moment,” added Huff. “He did the same when Tiago (Monteiro) went up the inside of him at Turn 8 at Slovakia. He must have known he was there and turned in and clobbered him and then shouted that there must be a protest, then he bumped me and pushed me out wide, so I pushed him out wide at the next corner and came out better.

“It’s a shame as it’s not the normal Yvan I used to race with. I think it’s an Yvan who’s struggling to hold on to a certain Argentinian.”