Sunday’s 6 Hours of Silverstone (April 12) will see Alpine kick off its maiden world class endurance racing campaign.The Alpine A450b will be in the hands of an all-French driver line-up featuring Nelson Panciatici, Paul-Loup Chatin and Vincent Capillaire.
The six-hour race is the first clash of the 2015 FIA WEC’s eight-round calendar, the highlight of which will be the Le Mans 24 Hours (June 13-14).
As in 2013 and 2014, which both saw the make claim the discipline’s European crown, Alpine’s 2015 endurance racing programme will get underway at Silverstone, England. This time, however, Signatech-Alpine will appear in the world championship (FIA World Endurance Championship, or WEC).
The team’s Alpine A450b will continue to compete in the LM P2 class, though, and with the same race number: 36. Meanwhile, Nelson Panciatici and Paul-Loup Chatin have been joined by new recruit Vincent Capillaire for the series which visits three continents.
Two weeks ago, the pre-season Prologue saw the Alpine A450b end up third on the LM P2 time-sheet which is an encouraging result for the nicely-balanced, reliable team.
The WEC race at Silverstone has attracted an entry of 31 cars, including 10 in LM P2.
Philippe Sinault (Team Principal, Signatech-Alpine): “We are cautiously confident and feel we are prepared for the start of the season. We have a perfect understanding of the Alpine A450b, and that’s an advantage when you’re about to begin in a new championship. In the European Le Mans Series, we were more accustomed to four-hour races, but the notion of endurance takes on even more importance during races that last six hours. Strategies are completely different. Everyone is the team is fired up ahead of our first season at world level. Our aim is to begin the year with a finish in the big points and I don’t think a podium is out of the question.”
Nelson Panciatici: “Pre-season testing went well and I can’t wait to see how we compare in a race. We have a thorough understanding of the Alpine A450b and Vincent has already slotted nicely into the team. The unknown factor is how all the new cars of our main rivals have evolved. Personally, I have already contested a season at WEC level and I will be hopefully be able to capitalise on that experience. I think a podium finish is possible.”
Paul-Loup Chatin: “Silverstone is one of my favourite circuits. I’ve often come away with good results there. We need to begin the season on a positive note because the level of this championship is very high. Our performance will need to be almost perfect. We know what we are worth but we don’t know where our rivals stand. It will be important to stay focused and not make any mistakes. A great deal can happen in six hours. We just need to keep our heads down while at the same time doing all we can to be ahead of the others…”
Vincent Capillaire: “I can’t wait for my world championship debut with Alpine. Silverstone is one of the best circuits anywhere in Europe and we are convinced that the work we did over the winter will pay off. You can sense that the team is extremely fired up and we have faith in the reliability of the Alpine A450b. It will be up to us to be on the pace during each stint. That’s the most important thing in endurance racing. I will give it 100 percent and I know we are capable of fighting at the front of the field.”
Timetable (local times, GMT+1)Friday, April 10, 11:55am: Free Practice 1Friday, April 10, 3:55pm: Free Practice 2Saturday, April 11, 9:00am: Free Practice 3Saturday, April 11, 12:30pm: LM P QualifyingSunday, April 12, 12:00 noon: 6 Hours of Silverstone
