Hexis AMR: Taking aim at the top three
Friday, December 03, 2010
Hexis Aston Martin arrive in San Luis for the final race of the season with the aim of securing a top three position in the teams’ championship.
The French outfit scored 16 points last time out at Interlagos with Clivio Piccione and Jonathan Hirschi bringing the No.10 car home in third and fourth in the two races.
Although Frederic Makowiecki and Yann Clairay failed to pick up points in the sister Aston Martin in Brazil, Hexis still remain in contention for a strong championship finish. The team currently sits fifth in the standings, behind Young Driver and Sumo Power, but is only 13 points behind second placed team Reiter Lamborghini.
With a total of 57 points up for grabs in the final race the top six teams have it all to play for in this weekend’s finale in Argentina.
Meanwhile, Makowiecki is the team’s highest scoring driver in eighth position with 72 points, and Piccione on 47, Hirschi on 43 and Clairay with 32.
Hexis Team bosses Philippe Dumas and Clement Mateu say the team is fully focused on achieving the best possible result at San Luis.
“What we have to keep in mind above all else is that after nine meetings we're in the running for second place in the world championship in only our first year, and yet we're one of the least experienced teams in the whole field,” said team manager Dumas.
“Whatever happens in Argentina, our season's been a success and I'm counting on our drivers and every team member to give 200% until the chequered flag falls in San Luis.
“Finishing in the top three would be a marvellous Christmas present, another line on our results sheet and extra motivation for the future.”
Mateu, development manager, added: "This new world championship has helped us discover other civilizations, which is very enriching even if our logistics manager Gautier Mezan has been burning the midnight oil to get everything organized," he said.
"From a sporting point of view we had an excellent weekend (in Sao Paulo). Our two cars are both getting quicker and closer to each other in terms of sheer performance. There was an almost palpable tension between our drivers because of their rivalry and their desire to do a good job.
"We could have done even better with either the blue or the red car, but we should be happy with the overall result. Thanks to the 19 points scored we're on target to achieve our aims.
"Our two direct rivals, Young Driver AMR and Sumo Power also had a good weekend in Brazil, but everything's still possible in Argentina with 12 professional teams ready to go head-to-head.
"We've shown that we deserve our place at the front as we're battling with semi-works outfits in a marvellous championship. It sometimes looks easy from the outside, but appearances can be deceptive as in this milieu nobody leaves anything to chance."