The fourth and final European round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is due to be held this weekend at the iconic Nürburgring (Germany).
In the Signatech Alpine Matmut team, Nicolas Lapierre returns to line up alongside Gustavo Menezes and Matt Rao in the no.36 Alpine A470. The no.35 car will be once again driven by Nelson Panciatici, Pierre Ragues and André Negrão.
Twenty-nine cars, including eleven LMP2s, will begin the race on Sunday at 1pm.

Four weeks after the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the FIA WEC heads to another legendary racetrack, the Nürburgring. On the technical and hilly circuit that will draw the European season to a close, Signatech Alpine Matmut will be determined to keep up the momentum generated by its podium at Le Mans.

Fourth at Silverstone and fifth at Spa-Francorchamps, the Alpine A470 confirmed its progress by claiming third place at Le Mans. Signatech Alpine Matmut is now looking to build on this positive dynamic at the Nürburgring and get back into contention in the title race before the championship leaves Europe.

Sixth and third in the LMP2 overall standings, the no.35 and no.36 Alpine A470s remain within striking distance of the leaders as they take on their rivals at a track that rewards the brave and bold.

This round sees the return of Nicolas Lapierre in the no.36 Alpine A470, alongside Gustavo Menezes and Matt Rao. Last year, the Frenchman and the American won in style in Germany and they will aiming to repeat the trick this season before making the long journey to Mexico, the United States, Japan, China and finally, Bahrain.

With the no.35 Alpine A470 driven by Nelson Panciatici, Pierre Ragues and André Negrão, Signatech Alpine Matmut can compete on two fronts. At Le Mans, the crew showed impressive consistency. Nelson and Pierre will also be looking to strengthen their working relationship with André, who has often done well at the Nürburgring. Like their team-mates, they will be setting their sights on the podium.

Throughout the weekend, a close eye will need to be kept on the weather, which is usually rather unpredictable in the Eifel mountains! The cars take to the track on Friday for two free practice sessions, followed by a final session the next morning. Qualifying begins on Saturday at 3.25pm. The 6 Hours of Nürburgring gets underway on Sunday at 1pm.

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Bernard Ollivier, Alpine Deputy Managing Director
"After our results at Le Mans, I have absolutely no doubts about the motivation of the engineers, technicians and the drivers for this round. The Nürburgring should enable us to convert our good form into the kind of results that reflect our potential. A year after the presentation of Alpine Vision, we have another opportunity to do well in Germany, where each success contributes to the brand awareness and image of Alpine in the largest sports and premium car market. Last year, we had a magnificent race with Gustavo and Nicolas. We hope we can rediscover the same level of performance, in order to keep alive our objective of successfully defending our title."

Philippe Sinault, Signatech Alpine Matmut Team Principal
"Since the end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the whole team has been fully committed to preparing for the second part of the season. We are ready with two improved A470s, the sensitive components of which have been completely reconditioned. We have also returned to a more sprint-like configuration after the specific set-up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We have equally taken advantage of the heatwave in France to run some testing as part of our preparation for the overseas rounds. Apart from the changeable weather, which requires an ability to adapt quickly, the Nürburgring is always a difficult race due to its position on the calendar. The season is far from over – more than half of the points are still up for grabs. With the return of Nico and our crews now into their stride, we're well placed in the overall standings to do ourselves justice in the next few rounds. We managed to do just that last year in winning the race. This weekend, we really have to be among the frontrunners to show our rivals that we will be a force to be reckoned with right to the end."

Schedule

FRIDAY, JULY 14
11.35am: Free practice 1 (90 mins)
4.15pm: Free practice 2 (90 mins)

SATURDAY, JULY 15
9.45am: Free practice 3 (60 mins)
3.25pm: LMP1/LMP2 qualifying (25 mins)

SUNDAY 16 JULY
1.00pm: 6 Hours of Nürburgring