Ragues replaces Thiriet at Signatech Alpine

A few weeks after his victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and his FIA title WEC in LM P2 with his teammates Nicolas lapierre et Andre Negrao placeholder image, the decision matured before being imposed: Pierre Thiriet had to give up the next world campaign with the French team due to a time incompatibility with his job.

“We replace one Peter with another, Philippe Sinault, boss of Signatech, told us Alpine. Pierre (Thiriet) has just become a father, he will have to take on an important role in his family business in the short term, and the subject of time management was complicated with the WEC which is quite time-consuming.

And since he doesn’t want to do things by halves, he preferred to be honest and withdraw”. Therefore, due to the proximity to the Prologue (July 23-24 in Barcelona), the challenge of finding a replacement for him was not easy.

“When I heard this news, I held a sort of family council and I called Pierre Ragues, continues Philippe Sinault. We know each other so well that our collaboration is natural. He was there when we started Endurance in LM P1 in 2009 and 2010 with the Lola-Aston Martin, then in LM P2 in 2012.

We were European champions in 2013 and, in 2017, he got on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Andre Negrao who will be his teammate again next season. In such a short time, the urgency was the exit qualities of the incumbent and the entry of the contender. And there, with Pierre Ragues, it’s not a subject: it’s as if he had never left us.”

Pierre Ragues has the particularity of being immediately in the rhythm since he knows the Oreca 07 and Michelin tires, he who will continue his season in parallel in ELMS with Duqueine Engineering. A perfect solution at a time when the Silver driver often weighs heavily on the success (or failure) of a team in LM P2.