Hexis Aston dominates GT1 finale

The French duo followed up on their qualifying race win on Sunday morning with a dominant victory in the championship race around the Potrero de los Funes circuit.

The result, coupled with third place for team-mates Clivio Piccione and Jonathan Hirschi, was more than enough to give Hexis the runner-up spot in the teams' championship behind the Vitaphone Maserati squad.

Makowiecki converted pole into the lead of the race while Piccione, who had jumped to second at the start, was able to hold up his pursuers. The leader was six seconds to the good by the time Richard Westbrook was able to move his Matech Ford into second place on lap three.

Clairay, who completed the first championship race victory of the season for Hexis, said: "It was easy for me. Fred did all the hard work and all I had to do was keep the car on the track."

Westbrook and team-mate Thomas Mutsch ended up second, 13 seconds down on the winning Aston at the chequered flag. That was enough to move Mutsch up to second place in the drivers' points.

Former A1GP driver Sergio Jimenez and Frank Kechele finished half a second behind the second Hexis Aston aboard the best of the Reiter Lamborghini Murcielagos. Vitaphone Maserati drivers Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels, who sealed the inaugural GT1 world title in the qualifying race, ended up seventh.

The failure of Darren Turner and Tomas Enge to score points aboard their Young Driver AMR Aston Martin, which was carrying 40kg of success ballast, dropped them to fourth in the championship table behind Mutsch and Makowiecki.

Pos  Drivers                 Car               Time/Gap
 1.  Makowiecki/Clairay      Aston Martin  1h00m28.603s
 2.  Westbrook/Mutsch        Ford             + 13.616s
 3.  Piccione/Hirschi        Aston Martin     + 23.159s
 4.  Kechele/Jimenez         Lamborghini      + 23.623s
 5.  Lopez/Mucke             Aston Martin     + 26.883s
 6.  Risatti/Basseng         Lamborghini      + 27.827s
 7.  Bertolini/Bartels       Maserati         + 32.440s
 8.  Jani/Armindo            Ford             + 38.646s
 9.  Muller/Heger            Maserati         + 51.610s
10.  Kox/Haase               Lamborghini      + 58.398s
11.  Pastorelli/Schwager     Lamborghini    + 1m29.624s
12.  Hennerici/Margaritis    Corvette       + 1m34.407s
13.  Ara/Nilsson             Nissan         + 1m41.277s
14.  Bernoldi/Ramos          Maserati       + 1m41.555s
15.  Turner/Enge             Aston Martin   + 1m44.685s

Retirements:

     Campbell-Walter/Hughes  Nissan        22 laps
     Dumbreck/Krumm          Nissan        18 laps
     Palttala/Bobbi          Ford GT       16 laps
     Martin/Leinders         Ford GT       16 laps
     Pier Guidi/Verdonck     Maserati      13 laps
     Wendlinger/Moser        Nissan        13 laps