Which drivers at Alpine in LM P2?

It is now certain thatAlpine will field two cars for the next season of WEC. The A fléché flocked team will thus run with two A470s, Oreca 07s rebadged by the French brand, in the LM P2 category. Only two pilots have been confirmed for this new exercise. Two regulars of the house since Matthieu Vaxiviere and Andre Negro are back for another year with the Dieppe firm.

The Frenchman and the Brazilian will not, however, be associated in the same car, since the Limougeaud will drive in the No. 35 while the native of Campinas (Brazil) will be at the wheel of the No. 36. Their teammates are not yet known, but several leads stand out.

Lapierre with COOL Racing

Nicolas lapierre will not accompany his friends with whom he was 2022 world vice-champion in the Hypercar category. The Haut-Savoyard will race well in LM P2, but will devote himself to his own COOL Racing team in Asian Le Mans Series and in the European Le Mans Series. However, he does not leave the fold Alpine since he will be involved in the development of the LMDh planned for 2024 and in which he should logically take his place in competition.

In recent years, Signatech has been involved in the operation ofAlpine A480 in Hypercar and the Oreca 07 of the Richard Mille Racing Team in LM P2. The watch brand having withdrawn from its sponsorship for this new season, Alpine get this prototype, but what about the drivers?

According to our information, Lilou Wadoux would take the path of GTE Am and the AF Corse n°83, whose sponsor will be none other than… Richard Mille. The young French woman also piloted a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo during the last Rookie Test in Bahrain. Charles Milesi should stay with Alpine in 2023 with the LMDh in its sights.

External and internal tracks

Going down the category, Alpine is faced with having to adapt to the categorization of drivers since in LM P2, a crew must include at least one Silver. Discussions with certain pilots at this level have thus begun. Julien Canal is logically one of them, but the one who has driven for Panis Racing since 2018 in the European Le Mans Series is highly coveted due to his level of performance in recent seasons. 

One of his former teammates would also be on the shelf in the person of Memo Rojas. The 41-year-old Mexican has solid experience in LM P2 since he has been competing in this category since 2016, the year he debuted at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Greaves Motorsport alongside Nathanaël Berthon and… Julien Canal. Sophia Floersch, member of Richard Mille Racing in 2020 and 2021, could also make her return to Signatech.

Avenues that raise the question of young people in the sector Alpine or affiliates. Hadrian David was described as “ natural candidate » by Philippe Sinault on the sidelines of the 8 Hours of Bahrain and the Tricolore did not hide its desire to reorient itself in Endurance. He also tested at the end of last year in Barcelona (Spain) with Panis Racing. Let's also not forget that Briton Olli Caldwell drove in LM P2 during the last WEC Rookie Test.

So many drivers which constitute interesting avenues for Alpine.

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