Scheduled two weeks before the main event (17-18 June), the 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day will provide competitors with the chance to get their bearings on the Le Mans track.
This Sunday 4 June, the Signatech Alpine Matmut team will therefore gear up as it prepares for "the world's greatest race".

The Alpine A470s will be driven by Romain Dumas, Gustavo Menezes and Matt Rao (no.36 car) and Nelson Panciatici, Pierre Ragues and André Negrão (no.35 car).

After two six-hour races, contested on the Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps tracks, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) moves up a few gears for the season's major event, regularly described as the "world's greatest race": the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In addition to its length, the race stands out for its truly unique track. At 13.629km long, the circuit is famous for the long Mulsanne straight, but also for its ultra-fast corners, such as Indianapolis and the Porsche curves. Speeds of above 300kph are reached in four places, whilst the average lap speed of the LMP2s is expected to get close to 230kph this year.

So that the competitors can prepare to tackle this extreme and atypical track, the ACO has therefore organised a mandatory "Test Day". This Sunday, 4 June, the competitors will have eight hours of track time in order to fine tune their preparations before the week of the 24 Hours.

For Signatech Alpine Matmut, this initial outing at Le Mans is eagerly anticipated. In an LMP2 category featuring some twenty-five entries, the team is determined to defend the win secured here in 2016 by the Alpine A460 driven by Lapierre, Menezes and Richelmi.

To do that, the Alpine A470s will be entrusted to two crews that have been put together based on their ability to challenge at the front. After competing for Alpine for the first time at Spa-Francorchamps, Romain Dumas takes on the role of leader in the no.36 car. Alongside him, Gustavo Menezes provides continuity with the 2016 winning crew, whilst Matt Rao continues to make progress in the team.

The no.35 car is shared by two long-standing Alpine drivers, who both competed in the team's maiden Endurance programme in 2013: Nelson Panciatici and Pierre Ragues. They are joined by André Negrão, a rookie this season in Endurance but who has already proved to be very quick and consistent.

On Sunday, the team will concentrate on tuning the cars equipped with the "Le Mans" aerodynamics kit, and on assessing the durability of the Dunlop tyres.

This second aspect could well be of particular importance. Despite the increase in the performances of the LMP2 category – which is expected to cut lap times by eight to ten seconds – the allocation of tyres for the race has been reduced by two sets. The durability of the three types of compound – soft, medium and hard – will therefore be critical for performance in the race.

As regards the drivers, the only requirement concerns André Negrão: as a Le Mans rookie, the Brazilian will have to complete at least ten laps of the track.
Quote, unquote

Bernard Ollivier, Alpine Deputy Managing Director
"We approach this 85th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the kind of excitement and enthusiasm that you only get at major events. It is the most important race of the year, and not just because there are double points on offer for the WEC standings. Alpine returns to Le Mans eager and absolutely determined to show its true worth. We want to live up to the achievements of last year! Before taking to the track, our drivers will go and meet with members of staff at Renault's Le Mans plant. It has become something of a tradition, which reminds us of the enthusiasm created by the Alpine era. Following this relaxed, fun event, the team will then be totally focused on the Test Day. This dress rehearsal should enable us to check not only that the cars in their Le Mans configuration are in good working order, but also assess the cohesion between the drivers, engineers and mechanics."

Philippe Sinault, Signatech Alpine Matmut Team Principal
"We are now set up in Le Mans for the next three weeks or so! The team members are operating in a specific environment, in which they are constantly reminded of how important this race is. Everyone needs to manage their energy levels and ensure they factor in periods of rest and relaxation, so that they start the race at 100%. Sunday will be an initial significant milestone. The drivers know the track well thanks to the work already done on our simulator ellip6, but we will aiming to ensure each driver spends as much time behind the wheel as possible. We have learned the lessons following the first two races of the season, identifying our strengths and the areas in which we still need to improve. We know that we are quick over one lap, both in qualifying and in the race. However, we need to get to grips with how to use the tyres even more effectively and get more out of them. At Le Mans, the stresses are huge and we will have to manage a smaller allocation of tyres than in 2016. Most of our efforts will be concentrated on this aspect, in order to find the best compromise between performance, endurance and safety."
Schedule for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

SUNDAY 4 JUNE
9.00am – 1.00pm: Test Day
2.00pm – 6.00pm: Test Day

MONDAY 12 JUNE
1.30pm: Administrative and technical scrutineering for the no.35 and no.36 Alpine A470s

WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE
4.00pm – 8.00pm: Free practice
10.00pm – midnight: Qualifying 1

THURSDAY 15 JUNE
7.00pm – 9.00pm: Qualifying 2
10.00pm – midnight: Qualifying 3

FRIDAY 16 JUNE
5.30pm – 7.00pm: Drivers' parade

SATURDAY 17 JUNE
9.00am – 9.45am: Warm Up
3.00pm: Start of the 85thedition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans