LE MANS 24 HOURS - TEST DAY
After a 35-year absence from the great French race, Alpine made its Le Mans comeback in 2013Thanks to the experience it acquired last year, Signatech-Alpine is looking to make a mark on this year’s race.Next Sunday’s official pre-Le Mans Test Day (June 1) will see Paul-Loup Chatin, Nelson Panciatici and Oliver Webb share the latest Alpine A450b, an evolution of the LM P2 prototype which made its Le Mans debut last June.
Although defending the European Le Mans Series title it secured in 2013 remains a top priority this season, the Le Mans 24 Hours stands out as the most important individual event of 2014 for Signatech-Alpine. Alpine’s successful history in the French race, which it won outright in 1978, continues today with the Alpine A450b which will compete in the LM P2 prototype class.
The Alpine A450 has evolved since its debut in 2013 and will rise to this year’s Le Mans challenge with a new package featuring an aerodynamic kit and specific settings for the 13.620km circuit. One of the team’s principal tasks during the pre-race Test Day will effectively be to familiarise itself with this new kit and with the car’s Dunlop tyres.
“Motorsport has always run in Alpine’s blood,” notes Alpine Director Bernard Ollivier. “There was no way we could have envisaged the renaissance of such a glorious brand without running an ambitious motor racing programme in parallel. Signatech-Alpine made a real impact in 2013 after holding firm in the challenging moments. This year, our sights are set even higher. We enjoy tremendous support from the public and that provides us with an extra boost every time we race. For sure, that’s a huge advantage.”
Says Signatech-Alpine Team Manager Philippe Sinault: “After the recent ELMS race at Imola, it’s been something of a rush to get everything ready in time for Le Mans. The Test Day will be a very important part of the build-up for the Alpine A450b and our three drivers. It will also mark the beginning of the busiest fortnight of the season.”
Paul-Loup Chatin: “Our podium finish at Imola showed we have the necessary speed to obtain a top result but there’s still a great deal of work to be done ahead of Le Mans. We will be out to evaluate the performance of our tyres and also the gain achieved by our aero kit. We know we won’t be able to take anything for granted but the Test Day will provide an initial idea of what we face in this year’s race. Le Mans is a legend and we will need to be up to the challenge because we don’t want to let down Alpine’s fans. Sunday will be a day of work but it will also be nice to start lapping round this exacting track once again. Its fast turns call for absolute commitment.”
Nelson Panciatici: “The main objective of the Test Day is to take work through the Alpine A450b’s set-up options and carry out some long distance running with the three types of tyre we will have. It’s an opportunity to work at the actual circuit in race conditions, both in terms of the speeds involved and the traffic. I can’t wait to get started. There’s nothing to match the thrill of driving through places like the Porsche Curves. I’ve been waiting for practically a year to experience that sensation again!”
Oliver Webb: “The Test Day is important for me and for the rest of the team. I will need to complete 10 laps in order to be authorised to take part in the Le Mans 24 Hours, even though I’ve been doing plenty of work on the team’s Ellip6 simulator. The aim is to make sure we feel comfortable in the Alpine A450b and the few hours’ track time we will get on Sunday will be very valuable because you can’t race on the non-permanent part of the circuit at any other time of the year. We will also have a chance to work on our pit stop routines.”
The build up to the official pre-Le Mans Test Day saw Signatech-Alpine complete the Alpine A450b’s preparation at Alpine’s historic factory in Dieppe. “This symbolic occasion allowed us to decompress ahead of the big day,” commented Philippe Sinault.
TimetableFriday, May 309:00am – 6:00pm Scrutineering and documentationSaturday, May 319:00am – 3:00pm Scrutineering and documentationSunday, June 19:00am – 1:00pm Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day – Session 12:00pm – 6:00pm Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day – Session 2
