Alpine to Continue With A480 LMP1 Car in 2022

Photo: MPS Agency

Alpine Endurance Team will continue with its A480 Gibson LMP1 car next year following the FIA’s confirmation of the extension of the LMP1 grandfathering rules through the end of the 2022 World Endurance Championship season.

Team principal Philippe Sinault confirmed to Sportscar365 in Bahrain that the French squad will maintain a largely unchanged program next year.

Nico Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere and Andre Negrao are expected to continue in the Hypercar class for a second consecutive season.

“Yes it’s the plan,” Sinault told Sportscar365. “We follow the regular way in terms of [the car’s] registration with the World Council. Now it’s underway.

“I expect to continue with the same three drivers. They’ve done well and we are a really good team.”

Sinault said its plans for 2023 remain unclear, believing “the story will be stopped” for LMP1 due to the arrival of the LMDh platform and full-season Le Mans Hypercar programs from Peugeot and Ferrari.

He hinted that a move back to LMP2 competition could be the best short-term path prior to the launch of Alpine’s LMDh program of its own for 2024.

“We are a racing team so want to be there,” Sinault said. 

“The [normal] way could be in P2. It’s the easy way to [develop] young drivers. Why not? There could be some other opportunities but not a lot.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John