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Esteban Scored Points and Finished Ninth in the Championship

October 25, 2009

Hockenheim, Germany – It was an event filled with adrenalin, accidents, changing track conditions, and a total of 23 positions gained in different circumstances for Mexican driver Esteban Manuel Gutierrez Gutierrez, whose driving talent earned him sixth place at the end of the last race of season 2009 of the Formula 3 Euroseries.

Esteban, driving for French team ART Grand Prix, started this Sunday’s race from eleventh place on a wet track, but after three laps he had climbed up five positions.
 
However, at the end of the straight and reaching turn one, the Mexican driver was hit by one of his teammates and sent back to 13th, from where he recovered and climbed up again until he was back in sixth place.
 
He and the team decided to make a pit stop to change tires as the track was now dry, but a problem during the stop sent him down the field and returned to the track in 17th.
 
The race was filled with yellow flags and after so many incidents there were 13 drivers who did not make the finish line.
 
Despite all this, the young driver used all what he learned throughout the year and again climbed up to re-gain the sixth place, with which he added up one more point to his count and finished the championship ninth in the drivers´ ranking, with 26 points.
 
This is how Esteban concluded the Formula 3 Euroseries 2009 season, a unique experience after 20 series races, plus four races of the British Formula 3 International series and a GP2 test with ART Grand Prix.
 
All of the above is also part of an intense preparation for the F1 test in which he will drive a BMW Sauber Formula One car in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, next December.
 
This season, Esteban was the best of the drivers who came from the Formula BMW Europe, and he showed it by being today’s second fastest driver with a lap time of 1:36.735, only .345 from Vernay, who won the race and whose best lap time was 1:36.390.
 
“Today’s race was very interesting and difficult as we had to make important strategic decisions during the race. The track conditions kept changing and because of this there were many position changes, especially because by mid race we had to change tires", said Esteban.
 
“I feel very happy for having been able to really enjoy the weekend and the last race of the year. The truth is, we expected a better result for the good speed we have showed in recent events, but this is still a good result and I believe what we have learned this year will make us better in the future. I thank God for all the good times we had during the season as well as the bad times because you really learn a lot from those”.

”I have to say that this has been the season in which I have learned more and for that I thank my team. The team work and the big effort from each and everyone are very important for what we achieved this season. Let´s hope for things to be better next season and to be better prepared thanks to what we learned this year. Greetings to all my countrymen, to the fans from Latin America, and to all my fans and thanks for all the support I received from you this season”, he remarked.
 
Esteban will take a break now to rest in his home town Monterrey and get together with family and friends before he is back in Europe to concentrate on the Formula One test as well as to fine tune the plans for next year.

Esteban thanks his sponsors Multigama, DeAcero, Telmex, Alpinestars, and Bell for supporting him on this stage of his career.