Hexis Aston dominates GT1 finale
Frederic Makowiecki and Yann Clairay dominated the main event at the FIA GT1 World Championship finale in Argentina to claim a double victory for the Hexis Aston Martin team
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
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