In taking the chequered flag fifth in the LMP2 class at the end of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the Signatech-Alpine squad scored its first points in the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Crewed by Nelson Panciatici, Paul-Loup Chatin and Vincent Capillaire, the Alpine A450b wound up 13th in the overall classification.The team’s next appearance will be the official pre-Le Mans 24 Hours test day on May 31. The race itself will take place on June 13/14.
Making its debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship, Signatech-Alpine proved to be competitive right from the opening practice session at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
The team’s Alpine A450b lined up fifth on the grid amongst the LPM2 class contenders for the second round of the campaign, and Nelson Panciatici maintained that position towards the front of the field throughout the race’s first hour.
With Signatech-Alpine subsequently adapting its tyre strategy, Panciatici’s team-mates Paul-Loup Chatin and Vincent Capillaire were able to remain remarkably consistent during their double stints.Even if new recruit Capillaire confessed that he still didn’t feel entirely at home at the wheel of the Alpine A450b, he nevertheless set a strong pace, before Chatin brought the car to the end of the six-hour race in fifth position in class.
Philippe Sinault (Team Principal, Signatech-Alpine): “We achieved our pre-weekend objective, although there remains a bit of frustration, because we clearly had the potential to do even better. Both in terms of tyre degradation and adapting the Alpine A450b to Vincent’s requirements, our lack of running at Silverstone last month cost us dear. That said, the final result is a positive one as we registered our first WEC points, and we can also be very satisfied at having finished the race without the slightest reliability scare. We’ve still got plenty of work to do ahead of Le Mans, of course, but we are very much looking forward to the challenge.”
Nelson Panciatici: “I was pleased with my opening stint – I was able to keep pace with the class leaders – but after the pit-stop, the tyres began to lose a bit of performance, which meant I conceded ground to the cars ahead. That was obviously frustrating, but we take much away from this race nonetheless.”
Paul-Loup Chatin: “I focused hard on looking after the tyres; Nelson’s stint taught us a lot in that respect. With a full tank of fuel on-board, we really needed to be careful in order to maximise their durability. As the Alpine A450b became lighter, I was able to push harder. I don’t think we were that far from extracting the car’s optimum potential during a large part of the race.”
Vincent Capillaire: “For me, it was a very difficult race, because I didn’t feel particularly comfortable inside the cockpit. During my double stint, I pushed hard so that the team would lose as little time as possible. It’s a necessary learning curve, and proof that there is still much work to do before Le Mans.”
LMP2 standings – WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps1. Jota Sport #38 161 laps2. G-Drive Racing #28 +1 lap3. Team Sard Morand #43 +2 laps4. KCMG #47 +2 laps5. Signatech-Alpine #36 +2 laps6. Strakka Racing #42 +5 laps7. Oak Racing #35 +9 laps8. Extreme Speed Motorsports #31 +12 laps9. Extreme Speed Motorsports #30 +27 laps10. G-Drive Racing #26 +37 laps
FIA LM P2 Trophy after 2 races1. G-Drive #28 44 points2. G-Drive #26 28 points3. KCMG #47 27 points4. Strakka Racing #42 25 points5. Team Sard Morand #43 18 points6. Oak Racing #35 18 points7. Extreme Speed Motorsports #31 14 points8. Signatech-Alpine #36 12 points9. Extreme Speed Motorsports #30 4 points
