24h Le Mans
Alpine will be competing in LMP2 in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship while the French marque's Hypercar programme is already well underway for 2024.
2024 will mark Alpine's return to the Hypercar class governed by the LMDh regulations. The French manufacturer has already announced joining forces with ORECA for the construction of the chassis and the engine will be developed at Viry-Châtillon. During the Paris Motor Show in October, Alpine unveiled the Alpenglow as an indication of the future Hypercar set to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship.
During the recent preview screening of the official 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans film, Alpine Elf Team team manager Philippe Sinault shared his thoughts on the programme: "The virtue of the Apenglow is to foreshadow certain features of our Hypercar in 2024. We intend to field two cars. Alpine's design team came to our workshops recently to present their results and it was an important moment of collaboration. We are in full swing."
To get a leg up on the 2024 season, Alpine will return to the LMP2 class next year. Will Nicolas Lapierre, head driver for Alpine's endurance programme, represent the marque? "More than a year ago, I took the reins at Cool Racing. In 2024, I will be very busy with that team, but I will have a hand in the development of the new Alpine set to take the track in the summer of 2023. It is a wondeful project and I can't wait to check it out. I've been a part of Alpine's journey almost since its return to endurance racing. We were able to win in LMP2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times. The team has matured a great deal these last two years battling against Toyota and Glickenhaus. We have a lot of ambition for 2024."
Actually, Alpine is one of the only marques set to compete in both Formula 1 and endurance racing in 2024. The similarities between these two disciplines is sure to be a major asset to this new programme.
The French manufacturer boasts a long history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, entering the winners' circle through the Energy Index in 1964, 1966 and 1968, and the Performance Index in 1968 and 1969. Add to those 10 class victories and an overall win in 1978 with the Alpine A442B driven by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Didier Pironi.
