One last dance for Alpine in LM P2 in Bahrain

The end of a ten-year adventure. Alpine will experience its last race in the LM P2 category this weekend, during the 8 Hours of Bahrain. The A arrow made its comeback in motorsport with Signatech in this category of the World Championship.Endurance, in 2013. The collaboration was crowned with success, with three class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2016, 2018 and 2019) and two LM P2 championship titles in WEC (2016 and 2018-19).

Obviously, the final round contested on the Sakhir track will be very emotional for the team. Alpine, which is at the same time preparing for its new era in Endurance with the development of the A424, the future French Hypercar which will be entered in 2024. The French team nevertheless wants to pay a nice tribute in racing to the Oreca 07 – rebadged Alpine A470 – to Bahrain.

“The 8 Hours of Bahrain promises to be full of emotions. This is an important meeting as the last round of the season and we will all be keen to finish this campaign well by trying to translate the level of performance displayed in previous races into a new podium.", declared Philippe Sinault, Team Principal ofAlpine EnduranceTeam.

“The drivers and the team deserve it. I would also like to thank our two trios for remaining motivated and mobilized throughout the year. (…) It is a real passing of the baton with this last race in LMP2 and with theAlpine A470. This car and this category have allowed us to write wonderful pages in our history. We are therefore ready to give everything to achieve the best possible farewell before looking towards 2024.”

Alpine, the Hypercar in the back of my mind

To Alpine, it will also be about ending this season on a good note. The French firm has only won one podium in 2023, at Monza, and intends to return to the top 3 for the final round. “We are well aware of the formidable specificities of the Bahrain circuit. Tire wear will be one of the main subjects and we will have to be particularly careful in our quest for adjustment compromises to be efficient on all of our relays and double relays., explains Philippe Sinault. The presence of sand on the track accelerates the degradation of the rubber, so we will have to find the right balance with our crews, without forgetting the strong variations in temperature between day and night. These aspects will be crucial, particularly in a longer than usual event. »

At the end of this last dance with the LM P2 in Bahrain, Alpine and Signatech will quickly focus on the 2024 program and the continued development of the A424, which will accelerate in the coming days. The A arrow is planning a first endurance test in Aragon, before sending its LMDh for approval in the United States, during the week of November 13 to 18.

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