Sinault: Alpine Took Another “Step Forward” in A424 Debut

Photo: Alpine

Alpine Endurance Team took another “step forward” with its new A424 according to Signatech team principal Philippe Sinault, after ending up the highest-placed debuting Hypercar entry in Saturday’s Qatar 1812km.

The French manufacturer recorded eighth and 12th place finishes for the ORECA-chassied LMDh machine, in what was largely trouble-free runs for both prototypes after nearly ten hours of racing at Lusail International Circuit.

The No. 35 car of Paul-Loup Chatin, Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi initially crossed the line in ninth but was promoted one position higher due to the post-race disqualification of the No. 93 Peugeot 9X8.

Alpine’s No. 36 entry, meanwhile, was delayed after an off-course excursion by Mick Schumacher as well as a change of the front bodywork that was damaged from an earlier incident with a LMGT3 car.

“We knew it would be challenging to start with a ten-hour race on a new track, but we’re happy with this performance,” Sinault said.

“We ran a clean race and finishing with our two cars, including one in the top ten, is a nice achievement.

“Getting to the finish line with both crews enabled the entire team, from the mechanics to the engineers to the drivers, to learn a great deal about our technical and human package.

“I want to thank and congratulate every member of the team. Rarely have I seen people so committed to a project.

“The foundations are now in place after these ten intense days in Qatar.

“We’ve taken another step forward, but know there’s still a long way to go. We must continue to learn and acquire expertise and experience in every area.”

Sinault told Sportscar365 that the objective was not necessarily to be the highest-placed ‘newcomer’ to the class, despite pre-race comments from Nico Lapierre that it was “achievable.”

The No. 35 Alpine finished ahead of the two Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8s as well as the Iron Lynx-run Lamborghini SC63, the other two Hypercar class entries that were making their WEC debuts.

Milesi, meanwhile, admitted they didn’t expect to score points in the A424’s debut race.

“It was a great achievement to cross the finish line with both cars, but having one in eighth place is a genuine bonus,” he said.

“Our pace looks promising against several other manufacturers, which is encouraging for the future, even though there’s still much to learn and understand.”

Chatin added: “It was a good one, and I’m delighted for the team, who have done an amazing job over the last two years to give us a competitive and reliable car right from the first race.”

“I don’t think anyone knows all the effort that goes into this behind the scenes. It was important not to make any mistakes and see where it would take us.

“In the end, we finished first among the newcomers and eighth out of 19 Hypercars, ahead of some of the big names in the championship. These first points are just great and rewards the whole team’s efforts.”

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