Rob Huff certain Citroen quitting is good for the WTCC
Rob Huff believes Citroen's exit from the World Touring Car Championship at the end of the 2016 season is good for the championship.
Rob Huff believes Citroen's decision to quit the World Touring Car Championship at the end of the 2016 season is good for the series.
Citroen has dominated the last two years, running Argentinian Jose Maria Lopez to two successive drivers' titles and winning two manufacturers' crowns.
But the French manufacturer announced last month that it will leave the championship at the end of next season to focus on its World Rally Championship project.
Huff, who also hailed Citroen's achievements, feels that the marque's dominance has had a detrimental effect on the WTCC.
"As much as we needed Citroen to come, we need them to leave because they're just too strong for anyone and the problem is that ultimately they have done the most amazing job," Huff told Autosport.
"That's partly because their budget is astronomical compared to anyone else's on the grid, and partly because they're a very good team.
"They know what they're doing, the engine has been in the family for many years in rallying and so on; I can't take anything away from them.
"But the fact is the other manufacturers are not willing to put the money in that they've put in so they're always going to be a step ahead."
Citroen drivers locked out the top four in the drivers' championship in 2015, but behind them each of Honda, Chevrolet and Lada had at least one driver in the top 10.
With Volvo joining the fray next season, 2012 champion Huff insists the championship could be an enthralling spectacle with the four marques closely matched.
"If you take them [Citroen] out of the championship, the Honda, Chevy and the Lada are all pretty close and with Volvo coming in - fingers crossed they've not done quite as good a job as Citroen did - I'm sure they will be straight on the pace and a force to be reckoned with.
"With four manufacturers all running at the same sort of pace we've got a hell of a championship back on our hands again and that's what we need; we don't need another [works] Chevrolet, another Citroen.
"I won my championship in a Chevrolet and if you're driving a Citroen I'm sure it's great. We needed Chevrolet in the championship like we needed Citroen; to keep it alive.
"Ultimately Chevrolet made an exit [as a works team] at the right point and it looks like Citroen are going to make an exit at the right point as well."
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