24H of Le Mans
Alpine betrayed by its engines at Le Mans: “We have to concentrate on what worked well”
© Germain Hazard / DPPI
24 Hours of Le Mans byAlpine lasted only six hours. The two A424s retired even before a quarter of the race, both with engine problems. The first, No. 35, at dusk, with a plume of smoke which betrayed a fatal engine failure at Arnage. The second, #36, stuck in the pits before the 6th hour of the race. For its return to the premier category in Sarthe, neither of the two French Hypercars will therefore see the finish.
Alpine #35 stopped at Arnage: flames and smoke!
Ferdinand Habsburg is out of the car.# LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/mYd2NzypcT- 24 Hours of Le Mans (@ 24hoursoflemans) June 15, 2024
A tough learning curve for the A fléché, a victim of the reliability of its Mecachrome engines. “We can confirm that cars 35 and 36 are out of the race due to a suspected engine problem, indicate Alpine via a press release. This is the team's first year in the Hypercar class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and we knew from the start that it would be a steep learning curve. »
Despite this failure, Alpine is already making an appointment for 2025, driven by the promising performances in qualifying and the start of the race. “ We will deepen our research and we will come back stronger and more determined next year at Le Mans. The car showed good pace to reach Hyperpole in qualifying, we got off to a good start in the race and that encourages us for the future. »
“The foundations are there” in Alpine, believes Sinault
After thanking his troops for the effort made during the week, Philippe Sinault gave his first hot reaction following this double retirement. Obviously disappointed, the Team Principal ofAlpine Endurance Team does not want to forget the positive, however.
“The disappointment is really great because until now, we had had some problems but not this early in any case. And the first three races rather suggested that the subject of reliability was mastered., confided Berruyer. In any case, it was not the main subject, even if we feared the 24-hour test since it is the field test which prevails. No matter how much we simulate the passage to the bench, the reality of the facts is the race. »
“Afterwards, in these cases, we have to concentrate on what worked well because I think the foundations are there, relative Philippe Sinault. We proved it, we had a very good week before the race. I would say, before the race and the first five hours of racing, we showed that there was real big potential around this car, that the team was in place and that there was a great thing to do well . So, we will rely on it to bounce back, progress and ensure that we can bring results fairly quickly to both our pilots and Alpine »
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DANIEL MEYERS
17/06/2024 at 05:23 a.m.
When you shoot yourself in the foot by wanting to do endurance with the current F2 engine, not known for its foolproof reliability, you shouldn't come and cry. Alpine / Peugeot same fight, being present in motorsport but always at a minimum on the budget side, (like France, the remains of a great country, giving lessons with empty pockets) I would be curious to have the comparison between the respective budgets of the manufacturers involved in WEC and their level of performance, my hand is convinced that the hierarchy is approximately the same.
Michel MINERVE
17/06/2024 at 05:10 a.m.
Alpine it's like France economically, it's a disaster everywhere, but the bosses are very happy with them & their results (ditto Peugeot) (and Micron for the country!!)
Michel ENGELI
17/06/2024 at 06:22 a.m.
Very French mentality: we lost but everything is fine!!
YVES CHAMPOD
16/06/2024 at 08:39 a.m.
ALPINE F1 is not moving forward, and the ALPINR HyperCars are no longer moving forward, excellent results! ? !