Christian Vietoris has urged A1 Team Germany not to 'do a France' when it comes to defending its A1GP World Cup of Motorsport crown next season.

Team France dominated the inaugural A1GP season, scoring 13 race victories en route to the World Cup of Motorsport title, but failed to win a single race in its title defence and finished fourth in the standings, and Vietoris is keen that the same fate doesn't befall the new champion when he takes the reins for 2007-08.

The 18-year old has been told that he will take over from Nico Hulkenberg as lead driver for next season, and expects to drive in the majority of races. He took part in several rookie sessions last season, and made his race debut in the Mexico City event, finishing ninth in the Feature race. Hulkenberg, meanwhile, dominated proceedings, winning nine races.

"It was quite good for me getting some practice last season in A1GP, and with some rookie and race experience and I am looking forward to next season," Vietoris, the reigning FBMW world champion, told the championship's official website, "The team won last year and will be doing everything for me to do it again, but it will be hard. Nico was a very good driver and I hope we can at least finish in the top five or something like this.

"But we cannot let happen to us [what happened to France]. I hope we can continue in the same style as we finished, as Nico finished for us, with the win at Brands Hatch. At the moment, I will concentrate on this, but I hope I can do these things. But it will be hard to do it again."

Vietoris, who took his maiden win in the German F3 championship last weekend, also admitted that it will be tough for the team to have quite the dominant season it enjoyed in 2006-07, mainly because the rest of the field are continually getting closer.

"Great Britain was getting stronger at the end of the year, and the Netherlands were quite good too," he pointed out, "All the other teams are getting better and better and it will be closer."