Alpine Faces Challenges in WEC Debut at Imola
Imola, Italy – (Dakar Daily, April 24th, 2023) – The Alpine Endurance Team encountered a difficult start to their World Endurance Championship (WEC) campaign at the second round of the 2023 season held at the iconic Imola circuit last weekend.
Rookies Mick Schumacher and Paul-Loup Chatin, piloting the team’s two A424 LMDh cars, were hampered by the timing of a red flag during qualifying, which saw the French marque’s entries line up 17th and 18th on the grid.
“We’re improving with each event and we’re improving with each test in the knowledge that we’re grasping,” he said, expressing confidence in the team’s ability to “get on top of it and at some point be able to put in the lap whenever we want to put in the lap.”
Chatin echoed Schumacher’s sentiments, noting the “big step” required in bringing the Michelin tires up to temperature compared to the Goodyear tires used in the LMP2 class last season. “It’s much more difficult,” he explained, “If you push, you can be a hero, but in one tenth you can be a zero because you lost the car.”
Despite the challenging start, the Alpine squad remains optimistic about their progress in the WEC 2024 calendar. The team’s Hypercar debut at Imola was further complicated by post-race penalties for both cars, as drivers Jules Gounon and Nicolas Lapierre did not complete the minimum driving time.
As the WEC 2023 season continues, the Alpine Endurance Team will undoubtedly be working tirelessly to unlock the full potential of their new A424 LMDh cars and adapt to the demands of the Hypercar class. Fans of the Dakar and GT racing can look forward to seeing the French marque’s ongoing development in the coming rounds.
🔗 Source