Rob Huff acknowledges that Chevrolet is going to face some very stiff competition indeed if it is to topple BMW from its World Touring Car Championship throne this year, but he argues the RML-run squad is in better shape than ever before.
The trio of Lacettis – in the hands of Huff, Alain Menu, Nicola Larini and Anderstorp one-off Rickard Rydell – triumphed on seven occasions in 22 outings in 2007 – making RML the most successful team in the series in terms of race wins over the course of the campaign. Despite that – and the fact all three of the outfit's regular drivers finished inside the top ten in the final end-of-season standings – none of them was able to put together a consistent championship challenge.
“Obviously BMW have set the target for the last four years now with Andy [Priaulx] winning the championship,” 28-year-old Huff underlined. “It's a very high standard they've set, and a very difficult challenge for any newcomers to the championship [as Chevrolet was back at the start of 2005].
“Unfortunately SEAT then threw a spanner in the works by introducing the diesel, which upset everyone a bit. You only have to look at their first performance with four rounds to go last year; they finished in the top three in both races. Unfortunately for them it broke in the last meeting in Macau, which was their downfall and what they've got to work on. That's part of motorsport though.”
The Briton pointed to SEAT's turbocharged diesel technology and
BMW's rear wheel-drive – meaning the 320si brigade wear their tyres a lot more evenly over the length of the race – as major benefits for the ‘big two' contenders, but he insisted Chevy should not be written out of the title hunt, despite their underdog status.
“It's going to be very tough indeed,” Huff admitted, “but we've done lots of winter testing working on the weak points of the car – mainly its consistency from track-to-track – and I think this year we have cracked it.
“You've got to do your best, which we have always done. Last year we proved the car is very quick, and I think this year it will be quicker still.”
