Drivex had mixed feelings at Silverstone, hosting Round 5 of the International GT Open last weekend. Marcelo Hahn and Allam Khodair, the latter after being absent due to other racing commitments, paired together in the Drivex Mercedes AMG GT3.
Both Drivex drivers made a strong start to the weekend as they finished in the top-ten overall during Friday’s free practice sessions and 2nd and 3rd fastest in the Pro-Am class. On Saturday, Hahn took qualifying duties in Q1 but unfortunately he crashed out after four laps. As a result, he was forced to start from the back of the field. In the 70-minute race, Hahn gained six places during his stint before pitting for handing over to Khodair. Khodair continued charging and after 35 laps took the chequered flag in 5th place among Pro-Am contenders.
On Sunday, Khodair took 6th spot on the starting grid and 2nd in Pro-Am class behind McLaren factory driver Côme Ledogar. Despite Khodair lost two places at the race start, he regained them later in his stint. After the mandatory pit stop for driver change, Hahn began setting competitive sectors during the early part of his stint. However, after a few laps Hahn spun out due to an oil leak. The Drivex-entered Mercedes sustained damage as a result of its crash on Saturday and it brought an early end to the race.
The International GT Open will head to Monza’s Temple of Speed on 30 September-1 October.
Miguel Ángel de Castro: “It was such a pity we were forced to retire on Sunday because we were eying win in Pro-Am class. We had no time handicap and Allam put in an excellent performance in the first half of the race. Considering how competitive Hahn was in race trim, I think a triumph was a very realistic goal. But that mechanical problem due to a crash ruined our chances. We finished 5th on Saturday at least. Now we have to continue working for Monza. We will have new opportunities to shine there!”
Source. Drivex S.L./Photo. John Patterson
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