Alpine’s FIA WEC-bound A424 Hypercar has completed its first major test, the car racking up over 1000 kilometres of running over four days at Paul Ricard, suffering no significant issues.
This test follows the car’s initial fire-up and simulator tests in July, and its first low-speed run earlier this month.
The first step was a shakedown of the ORECA-based LMDh at Le Castellet Airport on Monday with Nicolas Lapierre behind the wheel. Lapierre was one of three drivers to share driving duties over the four days, the other two being fellow Signatech WEC drivers Charles Milesi and Matthieu Vaxiviere.
The first day of the track test saw Alpine put the car through a series of short runs and begin operational work on the car’s main components, including the Xtrac gearbox, brakes and cooling system, which was put through its paces in the searing heat trackside. The team on hand also focused on the mapping of the single-turbo 3.4-litre V6 engine developed at Viry-Châtillon with partner Mecachrome.
Later in the week the car underwent longer runs, allowing the team to gather valuable data and monitor its performance with the Michelin tyre. Thursday ended with a stint of around 30 laps and a total of over 700 km.
Next up on Alpine’s schedule is a visit to Motorland Aragon in Spain during September.
“This first session is the culmination of months of work by the Alpine Racing teams and our partners,” said Bruno Famin, VP Alpine Motorsports.
“Our initial assessment is satisfactory, with a fairly high mileage that has enabled us to conduct our programme step by step. In these early stages of development, the priorities are to validate the fundamental systems and work on reliability whilst beginning to fine-tune the prototype.
“The drivers were fairly happy with the car, although there were some difficult points, which we are already working on in preparation for the next tests. But we have to be realistic: the work has only just begun. We still have a huge amount of work to do in an extremely short timespan before our first race.”
Philippe Sinault, Alpine Elf Endurance’s team principal, added: “For the first time in our history, we have the opportunity to be involved in such a large-scale project right from the start. Seeing the A424 take to the track for the first time was a real thrill. This project also brings its share of challenges, as the Alpine Racing teams and our own are working together to get the most out of the Alpine A424.
“The first overall impression is rather positive, and the absence of blocking problems since the first laps has enabled us to get to know the car fairly quickly.
“Our knowledge of the car will grow as the development tests continue. The next six months will certainly be intense until our first race in Qatar, but everyone in the team is more than motivated to rise to the challenge.”
A full gallery from the Paul Ricard test can be found HERE >>>
Images courtesy of Alpine
