Gounon Named Alpine Reserve Driver

Alpine has revealed Jules Gounon as the reserve driver for its FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar effort.

The Andorran driver, who was recently confirmed to also be continuing as a factory driver with Mercedes-AMG, will act as the stand-in for six-man crew that is set to pilot the Alpine A424 LMDh car in the WEC this season.

Gounon has never competed in WEC, although he made two 24 Hours of Le Mans appearances with Risi Competizione in the GTE-Pro category in 2019 and 2020.

“I am extremely pleased to join Alpine in the premier Hypercar category,” he said.

“I got my first taste of it with the A424 during testing in Barcelona. I must admit it is incredible to be involved in this formidable human adventure at the dawn of what I see as the new golden era of endurance racing.

“On a personal level, I will try to bring my experience and GT racing knowledge to the table, as I see a lot of similarities with the LMDh, particularly the weight and power.”

Alpine Vice President of Motorsports Bruno Famin indicated that Gounon, in his capacity of reserve driver, could get race outings at the wheel of the A424 should Mick Schumacher be called up to race in Formula 1 this season.

Gounon will also contribute to the development of the A424, which is set to make its WEC debut in the Qatar 1812km on March 2.

“My first run in the car last week was magical,” he said.

“I was really looking forward to getting to know the Alpine A424, and I would like to thank Mercedes-AMG for allowing me to join Alpine in this role.

“Many of the GT greats I’ve battled against over the years are now with various constructors in Hypercars, and this was a personal dream of mine.

“I remember my father, who raced in LMP1 in 2005, and I promised myself then that I would do everything I could to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall in a prototype.

“That’s not yet the case as I’m a reserve driver, but I hope to work well and continue to improve to get closer to that goal in the future.”