Huff praises circuit changes at Porto

Rob Huff led the way in the first test session at the Circuito da Boavista, and the WTCC points leader praised the changes that have been made to improve the safety and racing at the historic street circuit.

Whilst topping the times, Huff also broke the qualifying lap record of Gabriele Tarquini, albeit at a heavily revised track in the session where he lead his two Chevrolet team-mates.

“The car was absolutely brilliant I have to say,” said Huff to TouringCarTimes.

“I didn’t want to change it, don’t want to change it, can’t see me changing it.”

Reflecting on the track, Huff was complimentary of the revisions to the circuit.

“I’m really impressed with the changes to the track, starting with the first chicane, it’s always been fairly mickey mouse because I think every year we’ve been here they’ve changed it, and sometimes it’s changed from the Saturday to the Sunday, and from the Friday to the Saturday. I’m glad they’ve come up with something that’s proper, and I have to say it is very good. It’s a little bit daunting hard accelerating in second gear towards a concrete wall, but that’s street circuits, that’s why we like these places.”

“Certainly Turn 3, which used to be very a much a ‘stop, first gear, fast in down to first, 90 left’ – that’s really a lot better through there now, a rather nice fast flowing, quite ballsy corner followed by two really quite fast third gear chicanes. So I’m really impressed with what they’ve done…and yeah, it’s a street circuit, we love them.”

Reflecting on qualifying strategy, where a risky strategy left the Chevrolet driver in 12th for both races four weeks ago in Hungary, whilst a more conservative approach left him in ninth on the reversed grid for race two last time out in the Czech Republic, Huff admits he’s aiming for another conservative run here at Porto.

“If there was ever a weekend where you needed to be P10 in Q1, this is it, but at they same time there’s no chance you’re going to get away with what we did in Hungary when we didn’t qualify in the top ten and get through to Q2. ”

“My aim, I quite love the street circuits, we’ve always been quick here, we’ve never won here, I’ve always been bridesmaid, so my aim is to do whatever it takes to get through to Q2, and if we’re on pole then we’re on pole.”