Richelmi Joins Signatech Alpine for LMP2 Campaign

Stéphane Richelmi will race with Signatech Alpine in the FIA World Endurance Championship this year.

The former GP2 driver completes the lineup on the No. 36 Alpine A460 Nissan, joining Nicolas Lapierre and American Gustavo Menezes, who were already confirmed.

Richelmi raced in the Blancpain GT Series with Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in 2015, which saw the Monegasque driver scoring a couple of podiums and a win with his fellow countryman Stéphane Ortelli.

The Philippe Sinault-led team will make the switch from the open-top Oreca 03R chassis to the Oreca 05 coupe this year, rebadging the car as the Alpine A460.

DC Racing will also enter an Alpine Nissan for David Cheng, Ho-Pin Tung and the newly confirmed Nelson Panciatici.

“It’s with great satisfaction to welcome Stéphane,” Sinault said. “Now finalized, the combination of our crews illustrates the consistency of the Alpine A460 sporting project in 2016.

“Both will be able to play a leading role through the quality of our drivers.”

Paul-Loup Chatin, who drove for the French squad for the past two years, has not been retained.

“I also express our regret at not being able to keep Chatin with us in 2016,” Sinault added. “He has contributed much to the project and contributed greatly to the sporting results of the last two seasons.

“The decision was difficult to take but we aim to be able to work with him [in the future] because he is part of the Alpine family.”