New faces at Alpine in Endurance

While waiting for the arrival of its LMDh in 2024, Alpine will compete with two cars in the LM P2 category of WEC this season. The tricolor team will thus align Andre Negro, Olli Caldwell and Memo Rojas on the No. 35, as well as an entirely tricolor trio on the No. 36 with Matthieu Vaxiviere, Charles Milesi and Julien Canal. Names already anticipated by AUTOhebdo a few weeks ago.

« It is never easy to compose crews, especially with this complex variable of categorizing pilots, confesses Philippe Sinault, team principal (see QR). This was quite exciting to manage. These are profiles that we know, who have experience ofEndurance and who are efficient. » Going down the category, Alpine was faced with the need to adapt to the categorization of drivers since, in LM P2, a crew must include at least one Silver.

The arrival of Memo Rojas can be explained by the fact that the Mexican went from Gold to Silver during the off-season. The three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona (2008, 2011, 2013) and double champion ELMS (2017, 2019) will bring his enormous experience with his 41 years and his seven participation in 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Julien Canal also arrives as Silver, from Panis Racing. “ It was a wish expressed for several years to work together, admits Sinault. This hadn't been possible before, but I'm very happy to make it happen this year. »

LMDh in the viewfinder

Experienced drivers were not the only ones in the A arrow's sights since the young Briton Olli Caldwell will make his debut in Endurance after starting his career in car. The 20-year-old pilot comes fromAlpine Academy and evolved in Formula 2 last season, at Campos Racing. He was already present with Alpine in Bahrain during the WEC Rookie Test last November.

« If we called him to the Rookie Test, it’s because we already wanted to work with him. He presents a profile like the one that André had (Black) when we tested it (in 2019), a boy who has done a lot of single-seater racing with a good level of performance, but who had not revealed himself in this discipline. We are convinced that he has the qualities and values ​​necessary to enable him to flourish in Endurance. He brought complete satisfaction to Bahrain and this reassured us that he was a very good element to have in our ranks. »

Caldwell, like Charles Milesi, Matthieu Vaxiviere and André Negrão, will all be candidates for future promotion to LMDh in 2024. Absent from the 2023 crews, Nicolas lapierre will be an important element in the development of the future blue Hypercar.

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