Following the summer break, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) resumes at the 6 Hours of Mexico.
This race marks the start of an "overseas" tour that is set to include the USA, Japan, China and Bahrain.
Currently third in the LMP2 Teams' standings, Signatech Alpine has entered the no.36 Alpine A470 with a crew featuring Nicolas Lapierre, Gustavo Menezes and André Negrão.
Starting in Silverstone and stopping off at Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans and the Nürburgring, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) spent the first half of the season on some of Europe's most famous tracks. After a seven-week break – the time needed to service the cars before shipping them to the other side of the Atlantic – the championship resumes in Mexico City at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
The Signatech Alpine team will be delighted to once again savour the Mexican fans' enthusiasm and passion for motorsport. Last year, the race had an electric atmosphere, with a dramatic finish in the fight for the LMP2 class win. The no.36 Alpine A460 finished as runner-up… less than two seconds behind the winners!
Twelve months on and competition in the category is just as fierce. Halfway through the season, Signatech Alpine lies third in the Teams' standings, just thirteen points behind the second-placed team. Given that 130 points remain available in the second half of the season, everything is still possible for the defending World Champions!
In Mexico, the no.36 crew will be made up of the Frenchman Nicolas Lapierre, the American Gustavo Menezes and the Brazilian André Negrão. After starting the season in the no.35 Alpine A470, the Brazilian's impressive performances have been rewarded with a place in last year's title-winning crew. Nicolas, Gustavo and André come into the Mexican weekend with lofty ambitions and have their sights set on winning!
One of the key to success will be the team's ability to adapt the settings to the atmospheric conditions. At 2,200 metres above sea level, the lack of oxygen in the air hampers engine performance, but it also affects aerodynamics and the brake cooling systems. As ever, tyre management will also be a significant factor, especially if it's hot!
The FIA WEC competitors will take to the track for the first time on Friday afternoon. Following another two free practice sessions in the morning and after lunch, qualifying will be held late on Saturday afternoon. The 6 Hours of Mexico will get underway on Sunday at 12pm local time (GMT-5).
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Bernard Ollivier, Alpine Deputy Managing Director
"We're always happy to go to Mexico, an important country in the history of Alpine: between 1964 and 1974, almost seven hundred Dinalpins were manufactured there under licence. There are five races left to go this season and we're going to fight at each and every one of them, ready to seize the slightest opportunity. I have the feeling that the 6 Hours of Nürburgring marked a turning point in our season and that we made substantial progress in all areas, including tyre management. I therefore hope we'll be able to build on that and keep up the good momentum. Our drivers, more united and motivated than ever, will also be a major advantage. The level of our rivals in LMP2 makes it a difficult challenge, but that's exactly what motivates us."
Philippe Sinault, Signatech Alpine Matmut Team Principal
"As soon as we got back from the Nürburgring, the team prepared the equipment for this long tour of the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. With five races in three months, the second part of the season will be intense and we have prepared well for that. To kick off this series of races, the Mexico track is a bit different. With the high altitude, the lack of oxygen means having to adapt the engine and chassis settings. We're expecting it to be a close fight with very small gaps between the cars, starting in qualifying. Since overtaking is relatively difficult on this track, we'll have to qualify well in order to stay among the frontrunners during the opening laps. I'm confident about Nicolas Lapierre, Gustavo Menezes and André Negrão working together as a crew. Since the start of the season, André has stood out not only thanks to his level of performance, but also due to his ability to adapt to different circumstances. We have high hopes for this weekend and we'll be disappointed if we don't finish on the podium on Sunday evening."
Schedule
FRIDAY 1 SEPTEMBER
5.15pm: Free practice 1 (90 mins)
SATURDAY 2 SEPTEMBER
9.30am: Free practice 2 (90 mins)
1.45pm: Free practice 3 (60 mins)
6.20pm: LMP1/LMP2 qualifying (20 mins)
SUNDAY 3 SEPTEMBER
12.00pm: 6 Hours of Mexico
