Which of the mid-pack manufacturers from the 2024 FIA WEC season look closest to claiming a seat at the top table with Porsche, Toyota and Ferrari in 2025? With a freshened-up driver roster and an updated pair of A424s, the Alpine Endurance Team certainly warrants consideration.
Last year was a rollercoaster for the team in its first year with its ORECA-based, turbo V6-powered prototype. Le Mans was a total disaster, with two early mechanical DNFs, but the back half of the season produced some highly encouraging performances, headlined by a podium finish in Fuji.
To ensure the momentum carries over, Alpine and the Signatech team that operates the programme have kept themselves busy in the winter, with both organisations working overtime in pursuit of a first win with the car.
Starting with the A424, after employing an engine management strategy post-Le Mans to improve the powerplant’s durability, the French manufacturer has developed a fix and played its first ‘Joker’ in time for the new season.
“We are continuing our learning with this car. We have done a lot of testing and worked on our engine. We feel we have a better knowledge of the car,” Alpine Endurance Team boss Philippe Sinault told DSC.
“After Le Mans, it was not an easy situation. But we did a huge job of reacting well and bringing improvements around the engine and the turbo. It makes a big improvement to the reliability. That’s the subject of this ‘Joker’ and we are happy after our winter running.”
Sinault was not prepared to go into specifics, but he did clarify that the engine hasn’t been replaced. Instead, it’s been modified with some key new components after extensive developmental work conducted in-house by the OEM’s engine department in Viry, France.
“It’s the same engine, with internal parts and the turbo changed, but the base is the same. Work started one minute after the DNF at Le Mans. We are on time with this, we are ready to operate this package now. It’s a change that brings serenity.”
If the fix works as advertised, we should see Alpine putting significantly more effort into extracting performance from the car at each race weekend. This will be music to the ears of its drivers, who head into the campaign with high hopes.
Sinault is confident he has a well-rounded group at his disposal, with Frederic Makowiecki joining from Porsche and Jules Gounon graduating from his previous role as the reserve to a full-timer. They will race with the returning quartet of Charles Milesi, Paul Loup Chatin, Ferdinand Habsburg and Mick Schumacher.
“With Jules it’s a continuation of a good job last year, he’s ready to compete at this level,” Sinault said. “And with Fred, when we saw he could be available we didn’t hesitate to contact him. They both add real value to the project.”
The newcomers replace Nicolas Lapierre, who has stepped away from driving to take up the role of sporting director, and Matthieu Vaxiviere, who is now the nominated reserve. It was a tough decision to make to drop Vaxiviere, Sinualt explained, but he was keen to stress that his journey with the team is not over.
“It’s difficult, on the human side,” he added. “I think it’s a good choice for the project and it was a priority to keep Matt in the loop and make sure he stays with us. I am happy with this. To have him as reserve is a quality option and the door is still open for him.”
So what does a good start to the season look like for Alpine? Sinualt is keen to temper expectations but admits the team as a whole is in a far better place than 12 months ago.
“It’s going to be difficult early this season while we get up to speed with the package. And it’s hard because we start with a 10-hour race, it’s like starting the Tour de France with a mountain stage.
“The main priority is reliability, 100 per cent, and then we can look at results. If you ask me if we are ready to win regularly, I think today, no, we have to stay humble. We are not quite ready to fight with Toyota, Ferrari and Porsche yet. To start the year we want no DNFs and would like to fight for the top five if we do so.”
