Car swapping between Huff and Palmer

A few days before of their races at Brands Hatch next weekend, two leading British drivers from the FIA World Touring Car and Formula Two Championships took part in a unique experiment when they swapped seats to test drive each other’s race vehicles.

Chevrolet’s Rob Huff traded places with 19-year-old Jolyon Palmer, current leader of the Formula Two standings, at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit. Palmer had the opportunity to experience a WTCC front-wheel-drive Chevrolet Cruze whilst Huff got behind the wheel of the Williams JPH1B Formula Two car.

The experiment marked Huff’s first experience of a single seater since he competed in the 2001 Formula Renault UK Championship. “That was mega!” he said, “The F2 is a massively impressive car and I was really pleased to have the opportunity to drive it. The power of the car, the aerodynamic handling, the brakes – everything about it was incredible. I haven’t driven a single seater for nine years and this experience has opened my eyes again to how exhilarating they are to drive.”

Palmer commented: “The WTCC car was fun to drive - the steering was a lot easier than I’m used to but that meant you could slide it around a bit. The brakes were really good, and I was impressed with how quickly they slowed the car down. You can also use a lot of kerbs and carry higher gears through the corners in a touring car, so I imagine they would be really entertaining to race – especially with a full grid of cars!”