The Alpine A424s Return to Action in Austin – The MotorSportsNews.Net(work)

After the summer break, Alpine Endurance Team returns to the Americas for the resumption of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Austin, back on the calendar for the first time since 2020.

Inaugurated in 2012, the Circuit of the Americas has established itself as a favourite destination among competitors, with its gradients, including a steep climb to the first corner and its fast and technical sections spread over 5,513 metres. This layout offers plenty of challenges, and the drivers’ fitness will be severely tested by the high temperatures and counter-clockwise direction, which always punishes the neck muscles.

The FIA World Endurance Championship returns this week for Lone Star Le Mans, the 6 Hours of Austin (USA).
The sixth of the eight-round 2024 calendar, the Circuit of the Americas will host Hypercars for the first time in its History.
Alpine Endurance Team will target a productive return on track with Charles Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg and Paul-Loup Chatin in the #35 A424 and Nicolas Lapierre, Mick Schumacher and Matthieu Vaxiviere in the #36.

Although Austin has never hosted Hypercars before, it has nevertheless been the scene of excellent performances for the technical team and Nicolas Lapierre, who claimed the pole position and were victorious in LMP2 in 2016 and 2017. Despite this rich history and several overtaking zones making it easier to negotiate traffic, Les Bleus do not underestimate the task that awaits them.

Determined to accelerate their learning curve after some great battles at Interlagos, the team’s target will be to overcome the challenges Austin presents while relying on its experience and that of Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Mick Schumacher and Paul-Loup Chatin. The contribution of Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg, who will discover the circuit for the first time after discovering it on the simulator, will also be crucial in devising a strategy that will enable them to target a high pace throughout the race.

The weekend begins on Friday with the first practice sessions to gather as much data as possible about the track and the team’s package. Qualifying takes place the following day to set the grid for the Lone Star Le Mans, which starts on Sunday at 1 pm local time (GMT-5). The #35 and #36 Alpine A424s will compete against 16 other Hypercars through to the chequered flag at dusk six hours later.

Follow the Lone Star Le Mans live on http://www.fiawec.com.

Philippe Sinault, Team Principal Alpine Endurance Team
“It’s a pleasure to return to a fantastic circuit like Austin. After the summer break, we’re ready to get back into action. The cars left directly from Interlagos for Austin, so we’ll have a day to service our two Hypercars. From Friday onwards, it will be essential to find the best compromises. The heat will be a real factor if the forecasted temperatures are as high as in 2016, when the drivers struggled to complete more than one stint. It will significantly impact strategy in terms of positioning not only the tyres but also the drivers in the best possible performance window, as well as on tyre degradation, which will be crucial even if thunderstorms are forecast during the weekend. Among the other challenges, we’ll have to deal with the track’s bumpy surface and achieve optimum top speed without compromising performance in the tight sections. We’re entering the season’s final stretch, with Fuji following very quickly before the season finale in Bahrain. We can’t wait to get back on track and build on the momentum we gained at Interlagos. We’re learning more and more about how to fully harness our package. We’re working hard behind the scenes and want to show once again that we’re heading in the right direction.”