Round 2 of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) takes teams to Belgium for the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (May 5-7).

After points-scoring finishes for both Alpine A460s at the championship’s opening round at Silverstone, Great Britain, Signatech-Alpine has its sights set on a podium finish this weekend. ​The Belgian race will serve as an important dress rehearsal ahead of the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours (June 18-19).

Three weeks after its visit to Silverstone, the FIA WEC continues with another legendary venue, namely Spa-Francorchamps which is cited by many drivers as their favourite circuit. The Belgian track effectively represents a challenge worthy of world class prototype racing.

The new Alpine A460s compete in the fiercely competitive LMP2 category which features 10 or more cars with class-winning potential and, at Spa-Francorchamps, the N°36 and N°35 Signatech-Alpines of Nicolas Lapierre / Stéphane Richelmi / Gustavo Menezes and Baxi DC Racing Alpine’s Nelson Panciatici / David Cheng / Ho-Pin Tung respectively will be looking to build on their points-scoring finishes at Silverstone where they bagged fourth and sixth places.

Unsurprisingly, the team has set its sights higher still for the Belgian round where its two crews are both eyeing podium finishes. To achieve that, the team intends to use the experience it gained at the season’s curtain-raiser, which was marked by chilly temperatures, rain and even snow on Saturday, although the track stayed dry for Sunday’s race.

A similar scenario could well play out in the Belgian Ardennes which are reputed for their unsettled weather patterns.

True to tradition, the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps takes place on Saturday afternoon, with the start scheduled for 2:30pm local time. For the teams, it stands out as a last chance to weigh each other up ahead of the season’s showpiece, the Le Mans 24 Hours (June 15-19), which will be preceded by the official pre-Le Mans test on June 5.

Bernard Ollivier, Deputy Managing Director, Alpine: “The WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is always an eagerly-awaited race, both for the teams and the fans. Silverstone confirmed that this year’s LMP2 class is of an extremely high level and that’s a good thing because Alpine loves nothing more than close competition. But it also likes to win, and that means you need a flawless run if you want to finish on the top step of the podium. If you look at the lessons we learned at Silverstone, the meticulous way we have prepared for Spa and the motivation of everyone in the team, I think we have a great deal going for us.”

Philippe Sinault, Team Principal, Signatech-Alpine: “We have worked very hard over the last two weeks and looked carefully at the data we brought back from Silverstone. In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of the Alpine A460, our biggest lesson concerned Dunlop’s new range of tyres, although we don’t want to get overconfident because we still have much to learn. There will be two chief things at stake at Spa-Francorchamps. First of all, we will need a good run if we are to finish in the big points with both cars, and our target is the podium. At the same time, we mustn’t forget that this race serves as a dress rehearsal for the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours. Everyone in the team will need to understand what they have to do to be at their very best at what is the season’s most important fixture.”

Nelson Panciatici: “Our post-Silverstone debrief allowed us to take a good look at our errors. Steps have been taken to ensure they won’t occur again and we will also make a point of building on our strengths. We have worked hard to prepare for round two of the championship, including a great deal of time on the simulator. Spa-Francorchamps is one of the world’s finest circuits and it’s always a thrill to drive there. It’s there that I made my FIA WEC debut in 2012.”

David Cheng: “Things didn’t go our way at Silverstone but the team has done a fantastic job, both in our approach and in perfecting our pit-stop routines. Everything went smoothly for our first race with Alpine and I think we can target a top result if we succeed in fine-tuning certain details.”

Ho-Pin Tung: “I feel confident ahead of the trip to Spa-Francorchamps. It’s a circuit I know well because it’s where I qualified on pole position for the first time in a single-seater. After what I saw at Silverstone, I think this car has got even more potential than we first thought. That’s very encouraging, especially as the level in LMP2 has never been as high as it is this year, but we must continue to work hard if we are to progress.”

Nicolas Lapierre: “I can’t wait to get to Spa-Francorchamps. It’s a circuit I always enjoy and I’ve notched up some good results there both in GP2 and WEC. I won the WEC race there outright in 2014. Our result at Silverstone was very frustrating and we want revenge. That means we will need an error-free run in Belgium and we will also need to up our pace. Our lap times will have to be up there with the very best but I think the layout should suit the Alpine A460 better.”

Stéphane Richelmi: “I have fond memories of Spa-Francorchamps because it’s where I made my single-seater debut exactly 10 years ago. I remember the poor weather and low visibility! Since then, I’ve raced there in all the championships I have contested, so it almost feels like home!”

Gustavo Menezes: “Since Silverstone, we have had time to work out what we need to do better at Spa. The key will be to choose the right tyres and optimise the way we use them. The weather’s been crazy in Europe recently so it wouldn’t be a surprise if we saw more of the same in Belgium! I’ve got good memories of Spa. Two years ago, I qualified on pole for the FIA F3 Europe race there after lapping almost a second faster than Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon!”

TIMETABLE

Thursday, May 5 Free Practice 1: 12:15pmFree Practice 2: 4:30pm

Friday, May 6 Free Practice 3: 11:10amQualifying: 4:40pm

Sunday, May 7 Race: 2:30pm