HEXIS AMR managed at once a double programme at Silverstone, with the second event of the FIA GT1 World Championship and the opening of the FIA GT3 European season. And the team were rewarded of their efforts, cumulating a podium finish in GT3, a front row, a one-two in the “GT1 World” qualifying race, and a first world podium finish for Thomas Accary’s and Frédéric Makowiecki’s Aston Martin DB9 #9.
HEXIS AMR’s Aston Martins got great presence upon this first European meeting of the FIA GT1 World Championship. From the qualifying, the tone was set. Jonathan Hirschi and Fred Makowiecki safely got through the “Q1″ obstacle, this first session eliminating the seven slowest cars to only keep sixteen of them. Then, Clivio Piccione set the best time of the “Q2″, while Thomas Accary’s 8th time was enough for the team’s two cars to reach the Q3 level for the first time.
This final session draws the four front rows of the qualifying race starting grid. The team had optimized the car’s set-up after Q1, and Fred Mako held the absolute best time for a while. He was only outpaced in the last moments by Darren Turner’s Young Driver AMR Aston Martin. Like in Abu Dhabi, albeit in more positive conditions, a HEXIS AMR Aston Martin would take a front row run-up on Saturday late in the afternoon! With a different strategy concerning tyre management, Jonathan Hirschi hoisted the sister car to an excellent 6th place on the grid.
Who could have bet on a one-two from the southern France team so early in the season? Replacing Jean-Denis Delétraz at a moment’s notice after the interim ensured by team-manager Philippe Dumas in Abu Dhabi, Thomas Accary directly discovered GT1 driving at Silverstone, while taking part in the FIA GT3 European Championship event. Nevertheless, he kept the 2nd place when the qualifying race started and resisted to the FIA GT Champions’ Maserati, while calmly taking his marks. He then raised his pace to break away from his pursuer. The penalty inflicted to Enge for having cut the white line at the pitlane entry promoted the #9 in the lead. Fred Makowiecki didn’t let it go either, and won with 3″5 over the … #10! Clivio Piccione and Jonathan Hirschi succeeded a just-as-perfect partition to come and complete this first one-two of HEXIS AMR at the world highest level of Grand Touring.
We thus saw not one but two HEXIS AMR Aston Martins on the front row of the Championship race! At first, the absence of instructions between both crews was highlighted by Jonathan Hirschi’s takeover. But at the end of the second lap, Fred Mako took over his good and pulled away. Jonathan’s last stint lap was disturbed by a puncture. He fell from the 2nd to the 9th place before handing over the wheel to Clivio, who left the pits 16th. In the battle, the Monegasque put a wheel in the grass and spun round in Stowe’s curve. Aston Martin #10 had to be content with a frustrating 13th place.
In the meantime, Thomas Accary took over Fred’s torch in the lead, with a former F1 driver in his mirrors! But at the 24th of the 28 laps, Thomas has to serve a “drive through” for having got the engine started before the car were put back down on the ground during pitstop. He arrived 2nd on the finish line, before copping an extra penalty of 15 seconds. Because of a radio problem, he did not receive in time the order to go back to the pits to serve his penalty. Thomas and Fred thus found themselves 3rd, before learning the exclusion of the winners’ Aston Martin Young Driver AMR for technical non-conformity. Consequently, they got their 2nd place back, subject to appeal. But one thing seems to be sure while writing these lines: HEXIS AMR well and truly won their first podium finish in FIA GT1 World Championship, as soon as their second attempt! Besides, the points scored in both races enable the team to be third in the provisional standings, while Fred and Thomas are 2nd in the drivers standings.
Source : HEXIS Racing AMR