Sims joins Hexis for Blancpain

Former McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner Alexander Sims will team up fellow factory McLaren driver Alvaro Parente for an assault on next year’s Blancpain Endurance Series.

Sims and Parente will partner 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship runner-up Stef Dusseldorp aboard a Hexis Racing McLaren MP4-12C.

The all-professioinal line-up will run in the Pro-Cup class of the five-round BES, which incorporates the Spa 24 Hours.

Sims said: “I’ve heard a lot about Hexis since I started working with McLaren GT a year ago. It’s a great opportunity to race with them.

“I want to say thank you McLaren and Hexis for this chance to be racing in a top series with a top team.”

Hexis team boss Philippe Dumas said: “Our aim with such a high-quality driver line-up is clear: to repeat our Navarra performance throughout the 2013 season.

“We’ve got the right package to win the championship and break the stranglehold of our German rivals [Audi, BMW and Mercedes] on the Spa 24 Hours.”

The French team also plans to field a second McLaren in the Spa enduro at the end of July.

The McLaren scored a maiden BES victory at Navarra in October when Hexis made a one-off appearance in the series with Frederic Makowiecki sharing with Dusseldorp and Parente.

Long-time Hexis driver Makowiecki looks likely to land a works deal with Aston Martin Racing for 2013.

Hexis has also announced a French GT Championship campaign with its pair of McLarens, but is not planning to contest the new GT Sprint Series that takes over from the FIA GT1 World Championship.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/sims-joins-hexis-for-blancpain

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