The end of this week will see Alpine move on to the next step of its WEC campaign at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
The Alpine A450b will be in the hands of an all-French driver line-up comprising Nelson Panciatici, Paul-Loup Chatin and Vincent Capillaire.
The 2015 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is the last WEC clash before the Le Mans 24 Hours for which it will serve as a full-scale dress rehearsal.
Forty years after Alpine’s last appearance as a factory team at Spa-Francorchamps with the Alpine A442, the brand is returning to the Belgian Ardennes with the Alpine A450b which will make its Spa debut on May 2.
After the car’s recent retirement at Silverstone, the Belgian clash will mark a fresh start to the championship for Signatech-Alpine.
The team faces an entry of nine other prototypes entered in the LM P2 class out of a total field of 34 cars. Drivers Nelson Panciatici, Paul-Loup Chatin and Vincent Capillaire face a twofold objective which will be to finish in the big points at Spa and also to work on race management as the countdown ticks by to this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
Philippe Sinault (Team Principal Signatech-Alpine): “Since our accident at Silverstone, the team has done a magnificent job. The mechanical failure which led to the car leaving the track and retiring has been identified and the Alpine A450b has been completely rebuilt. Spa-Francorchamps is a new venue for Alpine. It’s an important race and the last one before we travel to Le Mans. We will need to kick start our season by finishing in the big points and working on our processes and procedures in preparation for June’s visit to Le Mans.”
Nelson Panciatici: “Along with Le Mans, Spa is one of my favourite circuits. Driving an LM P2 prototype there is not dissimilar to racing in a single-seater. You can really make the most of the car’s aerodynamics and the long straights facilitate overtaking. The aim will be to score points and collect data ahead of Le Mans. Spa is a crucial race and I can’t wait to get started…”
Paul-Loup Chatin: “I know Spa-Francorchamps very well but this will be my first time there in an LM P2 prototype. I can’t wait to see what it’s like to drive Le Raidillon and the circuit’s high-speed turns which such a powerful engine and with such high aerodynamic downforce as the Alpine A450b. The target is to finish as high up the order as possible. We need to get our 2015 WEC campaign going and also prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours.”
Vincent Capillaire: “It’s a huge pleasure to race at such a legendary track. I can’t wait to lap there in the Alpine A450b. It’s another start to the season for me because we need to put everything into place. We did some good work at Silverstone and our level of performance there was promising. Spa is a dress rehearsal for the Le Mans 24 Hours. We will need to prepare well for that in terms of tyre management and driver changes.”
Timetable (local time, GMT+1)Thursday, April 30, 12:00 noon: Free Practice 1Thursday, April 30, 4:30pm: Free Practice 2Friday, May 1, 2:00pm: Free Practice 3Friday, May 1, 6:35pm: LM P QualifyingSaturday, May 2, 2:30pm: 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (WEC)
