Le Mans - Alpine will not be idle at Test Day

Test Day 24 Hours of Le Mans carried out tomorrow will be essential for Signatech-Alpine who will have a busy schedule. With Paul-Loup Chatin, Nelson Panciatici and Oliver Webb who scored the first podium of the season at the 4 Hours of Imola, the French team will have to validate a new package specific to the Sarthe circuit as well as the tires from its new manufacturer Dunlop which replaces Michelin. “On the evening of Imola, we started a real sprint to be ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This Test Day will be very important to prepare our Alpine A450b and our three pilots. It also marks the official start of a frantic race which will last more than two weeks”, summarizes Philippe Sinault, the Team Manager of Signatech-Alpine.

Nelson Panciatici is the only one among the crew to have already competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year at the wheel of theAlpine. The reigning champion of theELMS should therefore be best qualified to assess the differences. ?The main objective of this test day is to review the settings of the?Alpine A450b and to carry out endurance tests with the three types of tires available to us », explains the Frenchman. “We will have the opportunity to work directly on the circuit. This will be an opportunity to put ourselves in racing conditions, both for pace and traffic management. I?m really looking forward to it and getting my feelings back in sections like the turns Porsche. I've been waiting for this for almost a year! »

On the other hand, Oliver Webb will have everything to learn since he will make his first start in the Sarthe double-clock race this month. The 23-year-old Briton is preparing for a series of relays in order to gain experience on the Le Mans track. “This test day is particularly important for me and for the rest of the team. I will have to complete ten rounds to qualify. It will be a discovery of the track even if I have already worked a lot on the layout in our ellip6 simulator. The objective is to be comfortable in theAlpine A450b. These few hours will be crucial, because it is not possible to drive on this non-permanent circuit. We will also have the opportunity to improve our skills during pit stops. »

The complete list of entrants for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day can be consulted on this link.