Chevrolet drivers’ 2013 plans still uncertain

Where any of the three works Chevrolet drivers will be racing next year was still unclear as the 2012 WTCC season came to a close at Macau. All three drivers are currently out of contract after Chevrolet announced their decision to leave back in July.

New champion Rob Huff will carry the No.1 plate next year with whoever he drives with. So far, every WTCC champion in the modern era has returned to defend his title, and only one of the four champions no longer competes in the WTCC, after three-time champion Andy Priaulx left along with BMW in 2011 and now races in the DTM.

With Chevrolet’s withdrawal, RML will take ownership of the team’s four Chevrolet Cruze 1.6Ts next season, the three race cars plus the T-car used by Colin Turkington in Shanghai, and are trying to put together a two-car programme for 2013 whilst new manufacturer options are explored for 2014.

Honda and Lada are the only manufacturer backed programmes likely to be on the grid next season, with their driver line-ups already believed to be complete, which leaves just independent drives available for 2013.

“I’m talking to people, but at the moment there’s nothing remotely concrete,” said Rob Huff to TouringCarTimes.

On what his preferred option for 2013 would be, Huff’s reply was simply:
“A Chevrolet Cruze would be nice, run by RML would be ideal…but I’m open to all options, I need to assess the situation. I’d like to speak to a lot more people than I’m speaking to, but if it’s an option, I’d like to stay here with Chevrolet and RML.”

Alain Menu joked post-race that paddock gossip had been linking the 2012 Championship runner-up with anyone from Bamboo Engineering, Lada and Ford, but in reality his plans are also unclear.

“Ideally I’d like to stay in the Championship,” said Menu to TouringCarTimes. “I think the Championship will grow, it’s looking good for the future. I may be 50 next year, but in my head I’m not, I still have a competitive spirit, I still love it, so hopefully I’ll be back next year.”

Rob Huff has also been linked with the V8 Supercars Championship in 2013, which may be anything from just competing in the endurance events at Sandown and Bathurst, to a full season programme, whilst Menu has also been linked with the Super TC 2000 Argentinean Championship, where he has been a race winner before with the series’ factory Chevrolet team.

Three-time WTCC champion Yvan Muller, when drawn on the subject, also added he has nothing in place for next year. The Frenchman has driven in both the Euro NASCAR series as well as in the French round of the FIA World Rally Championship, in addition to his duties with Chevrolet in the WTCC.