Signatech-Alpine lines up for the last round of the 2014 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) with a 10-point lead over its rivals.
Alpine is targeting a second straight ELMS title at Estoril, Portugal. That would be a first in the discipline’s European series.
Paul-Loup Chatin, Nelson Panciatici and Oliver Webb will share the Alpine A450b in their bid to seal the European crown. It was 40 years ago, almost to the day, that Alpine-Renault secured the European 2-Litre Championship in 1974!
Thanks to its win at Austria’s Red Bull Ring and to podium finishes at Imola, Italy, and Circuit Paul Ricard, France, Signatech-Alpine is in a strong position ahead of this year’s final ELMS clash.
With a score of 68 points to their name so far this season, the ‘Blues’ have their fate in their own hands in Portugal, but coming either first or second would guarantee a second straight title for Alpine, however its rivals perform.
“Motorsport is an integral part of our brand’s heritage,” stresses Alpine Director Bernard Ollivier. “Our intention at Estoril will be to fight for the win. There will be no question of controlling the situation from a distance. The objective of our racing programme is to show that we are competitive. That value is shared by our fans who will be fully behind the team as it strives to claim a historic back-to-back title.”
Bernard Ollivier’s thoughts are echoed by those of Signatech-Alpine Team Principal Philippe Sinault: “We hoped we would find ourselves in this position when the decision was taken to defend the title we won in 2013. We’ve obviously calculated all the different possible scenarios, but that doesn’t mean we intend to control from behind or do the minimum to seal the championship. We have prepared very thoroughly for the last round using our Ellip6 simulator and the track should suit the Alpine A450b. We will do our utmost to win, just like we do each time out. Pressure is generally good for us. It’s only when we reach the last hour of the race that we will take stock and perhaps adjust our strategy.”
“We were in a similar situation this time last year, but we have the advantage of being able to mark our opponents this time,” notes Nelson Panciatici, winner of the 2013 European Le Mans Series with Signatech-Alpine. “We can’t afford to make the slightest error. The team has shown that it is capable of delivering when the stakes are high. The title is our main objective but we are targeting a top finish. The Alpine A450b should be competitive at Estoril which is a track I particularly enjoy.”
“All my energy is focused on the coming weekend,” admits Paul-Loup Chatin. “The pressure stems from the high demands we place on ourselves before each race and it won’t be any different for the last round of the season. We are acutely aware of the high expectations of all the Alpine fans, so it will be up to us to live up to their expectations. After finishing on the podium at Le Mans, we now need to win the ELMS title. It’s clearly going to be close, but I believe we have what it takes to finish on top.”
“There’s just one more race for us to finish the job we started at the beginning of the season,” adds Oliver Webb. “We face some pretty tough opposition but we’re ready for it. Estoril should suit the Alpine A450b. We just need to make sure we keep out of trouble and stay safe when overtaking in traffic. The aim is to come first or second. That way, we won’t need to worry about what our rivals are up to. And to achieve that, we will have to push all the way!”
The Portuguese race will be broadcast live across Europe by Motors TV, as well as online at www.europeanlemansseries.com.
TimetableSaturday, October 1811:00am… Free Practice 1 (90 minutes)3:30pm… Free Practice 2 (90 minutes)
Sunday, October 1910:00am… LM P2 Qualifying (20 minutes)10:45am… Autograph signing session (30 minutes)1:30pm Race (4 hours)
